USDEC, NMPF applaud USTR for enforcement action against India
By holding India accountable for its unjustified trade barriers, USTR is setting an important precedent on enforcement.
The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) said they commend the administration’s decision to terminate the preferential trade status granted to India for its failure to provide “equitable and reasonable access to its market” and comply with other provisions of the statute, as required. By holding India accountable for its unjustified trade barriers, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is setting an important precedent on enforcement.
India has denied market access to U.S. dairy products since 2003, despite receiving preferential access to the U.S. market under a special duty-free trade arrangement called the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Over those years, India has cited a variety of shifting reasons as the basis for its illicit trade barriers, including unscientific restrictions on U.S. livestock feeding practices, said the Arlington, Va.-based dairy organizations.