Agri and marine sectors cautious on US move

The country's farm sector has expressed relief with American President Donald Trump putting on hold for three months the imposition of steep tariffs on exports even as the Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a panel to study the challenges that tariffs posed to India's marine-food products, a sector which was seen to be as the worst-affected.

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

The 16-member panel, formed before the United States (US) halted the tariffs, has representatives from major seafood- and feed meal-producing companies and senior officials. Sources said one of its mandates was to study shrimp-production patterns and exports from India and Ecuador. It will also look at steps to increase exports of Indian shrimp to the European Union, China, and Japan.

Ecuador emerged as one of the major competitors for India's shrimp exports to the US after American President Donald Trump had imposed a 26 per cent additional duty on India while keeping it at 10 per cent for Ecuador. Andhra Pradesh exports the largest quantities of shrimp from India. The committee has been asked to file a preliminary report in five days on the impact of tariff-relief measures and its solutions, and a comprehensive report within three weeks on long-term policy measures.