US diplomat to visit India
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will arrive today in New Delhi for talks with her Indian counterpart.
During her two-day state visit, Sherman will highlight measures to deepen India-US relations. These goals range from increasing bilateral trade to establishing collective action vis-a-vis Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Despite New Delhi’s frustrations with Washington’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, today’s conference will discuss possible ways to enhance commerce that will eventually pave the way for a Free Trade Agreement.
Expect New Delhi and Washington to finalize the agreement following the India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) which will likely convene within a year. The Biden administration views the prospective trade agreement—which will provide a large new market for Washington—as an important step in outmaneuvering Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. In this context, economic advantages, such as the removal of applied tariff and industrial tariff will also increase trade between the two countries. This will benefit American importers of critical manufacturing goods, such as auto parts and IT equipment. While barriers within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS) will remain effective, India, for its part, is likely to see greater imports of US agricultural goods such as vegetable oil.
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