US asks India to slash import tariffs on farm products

The US asked India to slash average applied tariffs on American agriculture imports to 5% from the existing level of about 40%, with this likely to be one of the key issues of the four-day trade deliberations set to start in Washington on Monday, people in the know said.

- Rajeev Jayaswal

The US wants parity in the average applied tariff for a mutually beneficial and long-lasting trade relationship, the people added, requesting anonymity. But accepting the US demand is difficult for New Delhi because Indian farmers, operating at the subsistence level, cannot withstand unequal competition with American commercial farms, they said.