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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce Chairperson Dola Sen on Friday said the panel is comprehensively evaluating India-US trade relations, covering both "possibilities" and "constraints" across key sectors including agriculture, textiles, automobiles, steel, fisheries and chemicals.
Speaking exclusively to ANI after a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce in New Delhi, Sen said the committee held discussions with the Ministry of Skill Development and industry bodies including FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organisations), CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) as part of its ongoing study on the "Evaluation of India-US Trade Relations." "We are discussing the evolution of Indo-US trade relations on tariff hike, on dollar-rupee relationship, on crude oil and petrol-diesel comparison for the last 15 years or 20 years, on textile sector, on automotive sector, on leather sector, on fisheries, on marine products, on agriculture, on gems and jewellery, on chemicals including polymers and plastics, on steel sector, etc. All the relevant subjects," Sen told ANI. She said agriculture and agro-based industries remain a key focus area for the committee. "We are an agrarian country, so agriculture and agro-based industry is also our deep concern," she added. The committee meeting comes amid ongoing discussions between India and the United States on expanding bilateral trade ties and working toward a broader trade agreement. When asked about the outlook for India-US trade relations, Sen said the committee was examining both opportunities and challenges before finalising its recommendations. "On Indo-US trade relationship, we are discussing the evolution and there are ample scopes but there are constraints also. So we are addressing both," she said. Sen, however, declined to disclose specific recommendations or observations made during the meeting, citing parliamentary ethics and confidentiality norms followed by standing committees. She also confirmed that discussions around the proposed agreement between the two countries were part of the committee's deliberations. "Yes, we are discussing agriculture and agro-based industries too. So we are trying to cope up the subject in a comprehensive manner, and there are constraints, there are possibilities," Sen said. The United States Embassy in India on Friday highlighted the upcoming official visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasising the central role of the United States-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership and the Quad in maintaining a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. In a post on X, the US Embassy highlighted growing cooperation among Quad nations on strategic and economic issues in the region. "Standing together for a free and open Indo-Pacific-From supporting regional security to diversifying critical minerals supply chains, @SecRubio's upcoming visit to India emphasizes the importance of the Quad partnership", it said. (ANI)
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