20 pc retaliatory duty removal on American apple imports to have ‘zero’ impact on Indian farmers: official
Synopsis
India’s decision to remove retaliatory tariffs on US apples, imposed in 2019 in response to the US increasing tariffs on certain steel and aluminium products, will not have any negative impact on Indian farmers. The decision to remove these additional duties was part of an agreement reached between India and the US during Modi’s visit to USA.
The decision to remove 20 per cent retaliatory customs duty on imported American apples will have a “zero” impact on Indian farmers as the government has sufficient policy space to support growers if there is any implication of the move, a senior government official said on Monday.
Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Peeyush Kumar said that India is not giving anything “extra” by removing this duty and it was not that “we have opened a floodgate” for American apples.
In fact, it is a win-win deal for India as it restores market access for domestic steel and aluminium products in the American market, which was impacted due to the imposition of high duties by the US in 2018.
The decision to remove these additional duties was part of an agreement reached between India and the US, during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington and New York. India and the US have also agreed to terminate six trade disputes at the World Trade Organis (WTO)
These remarks assume significance as Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a tweet alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “wants Apple to invest (not investigate) in India. But does he even care for the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh? He has avenged his election loss in Himachal by slashing import duties on American apples. Never before has India seen a more petty PM!”
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