India, US meeting to discuss trade, investments

New Delhi: India and the US will review the progress achieved on the issues related to agriculture, trade, promotion of investment in manufacturing and IPR in a two-day meeting starting on October 19.

A high-level delegation led by US Trade Representative Michael Froman is attending the 10th India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting scheduled on 19-20 October here. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of a function here said that visa related issues would also figure in the meeting.

The TPF meeting has focussed on increasing bilateral interaction and momentum on resolving trade concerns. As part of the annual work plan jointly agreed between India and the US, working groups on agriculture, trade in services and goods, promotion of investment in manufacturing and intellectual property have been meeting.

The commerce ministry in a statement said that under TPF, there would be technical level discussions on October 18. It will be be followed by Secretary and Deputy USTR level discussions tomorrow. Ministerial level meeting is scheduled for October 20, which will be led by Froman and Sitharaman.

"Both the sides would be reviewing the progress achieved on the issues agreed upon in work plans for 2016, under all the four work streams and would be working out the way forward for 2017," the commerce ministry said.

The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 109 billion in 2015-16. It also said that the bilateral cooperation under TPF has resulted in resolving several market access issues and cooperation in services, manufacturing and IPR.