Opening Indian markets to agricultural imports from America proved to be a key stumbling block in trade negotiations
US grown soya bean and corn could come from batches that had genetically modified crops, something Indian consumers are uncomfortable with.
Image : Raquel Cunha / Reuters
India’s resistance to opening up its markets to imports of corn, soya beans, dairy and almonds reportedly proved to be a key sticking point in trade negotiations with the US.
Indian negotiators had clearly drawn red lines over what are believed to be US demands for allowing unfettered access to Indian markets. Farmer unions had also repeatedly warned the government over any deal with the US that would allow imports.
“Agricultural products in the US benefit from a lot of subsidies and allowing them would put Indian producers at a disadvantage,” says Jayant Dasgupta, former Indian permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation.
In addition, Indian negotiators pointed out that soya bean and corn could come from batches that had genetically modified crops, something Indian consumers are uncomfortable with. Imports of dairy products are also an issue as cattle feed contains a lot of animal proteins that Indian consumers may be unwilling to consume.
In the end it's unclear why talks went down to the wire and whether the stumbling blocks can now be bridged. One reason for this is that the deal between Indian negotiators and the US trade representative was agreed about a week ago but was only rejected by US President Donald Trump on July 30.