Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
Piyush Goyal to soon hold talks with US counterpart
WASHINGTON: India could soon get a response to commerce minister Piyush Goya’s offer to reboot trade negotiations with the US when he speaks for the first time with his counterpart Katherine Tai, who was confirmed on Wednesday in a unanimous vote, which is a first for any of President Joe Biden’s nominees, according to people familiar with the matter.
Tai was approved 98-0 (of the 100 senators present and voting, including all Republicans) as Biden’s US trade representative, the top American trade negotiator and enforcer.
Tai and Goyal are expected to talk for the first time in a few days now, according to people familiar with these trade discussions.
And India would be eager to hear her response to Goyal’s offer of a “fresh” start of trade talks between the two countries after the failure of the last round, conducted with her predecessor Robert Lighthizer, in the previous US administration headed by Donald Trump.
Goyal called for a “fresh package” for India-US trade negotiations in February, accusing the Trump administration of bogging down the talks with “nitpicking” and constantly shifting the goalpost with new demands.
Tai had offered no clues to her thinking on ties with India at her hours-long confirmation hearing, even though she had plenty of opportunities. Senators had quizzed her about several trade issues with India but none of them had directly addressed the elephant in the room — the trade negotiations with India.
Trade differences between India and the US have been the single largest drag on bilateral ties that have otherwise been on an upswing in recent years — in strategic and commercial spheres chiefly, with plenty of side actions in health and pharmaceuticals, education, space and other spheres.
The Trump administration terminated India’s special benefits under a US trade promotion programme to coerce India to give American companies access to its dairy sector and free medical devices from price regulations. Other elements got added on as the US side tried to maximise its gains.