India questions legal basis of Section 301 probe by US

REBUTS CHARGES OF PROMOTING EXCESS CAPACITIES, FORCED LABOUR

- MUKESH JAGOTA

INDIA HAS TOLD the US that Washington’s investigation into its industrial policies and use of “forced labour,’ which allegedly harms American trade, does not meet the legal requirements under the law invoked to launch the probe.

New Delhi has also rebutted all allegations made by the US as grounds for the probe.

India has maintained that the initiation notices do not meet the legal standard for Section 301 investigations, especially concerning self-initiation. For self-initiation an act, policy, or practice of a country that hurts American trade must be clearly pointed out but broad accusations have been made in both cases.