IP Violations by India Now on Trump's Trade Policy Agenda

Discussions on Tariffs and Other Aspects of Trade Relations Figured in PM Modi's Visit to Washington

- Rajeev Jayaswal

NEW DELHI: India is unable to provide adequate intellectual property (IP) protection, mainly on pharmaceutical products, medical devices, digital services, and information and communications technology (ICT), the Trump administration has said in a new report, clubbing it with countries like China and Russia for IP violations and proposing an "out-of-cycle review" before taking remedial actions.

The US government is contemplating to strictly stop the abuse of American intellectual property, a task that remained incomplete during Trump's first term, two people aware of the development said, requesting anonymity.

Acting on the January 20th presidential memorandum, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer tabled President Trump's 2025 Trade Policy Agenda that clubbed India in the "priority watch list" for IP violations along with China, Russia, Argentina, Chile, Indonesia and Venezuela.

"This could be another major bilateral issue for India to resolve besides ongoing negotiation on tariff barriers," one of them said. Even as an Indian delegation led by commerce minister Piyush Goyal was in the US for negotiating a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), President Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India, from April 2 for levying high tariffs on American goods.

Trump's 2025 Trade Policy Agenda lays out the administration's vision for trade, describing the economic and national security challenges facing the US, and articulates a plan for rebalancing trade to address those challenges, the USTR said in a statement on March 3.

"Today's Trade Agenda lays out the thinking and vision that undergird that plan. The current moment demands action to put America First on trade, and the Trade Agenda explains the importance of President Trump's trade policy to American workers and businesses," Geer said in his statement while announcing the policy agenda.