US senators object to wheat, rice subsidies in India; USTR says market access to India has improved
Washington: India has opened up its market to the American farming industry in as many as 12 different categories, a top Biden administration trade official told lawmakers on Wednesday as some influential senators raised the issue of wheat and rice subsidies in India and alleged forced labour in the country’s shrimp industry. US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tie, responding to a series of questions from the senators during a congressional hearing on trade convened by the US Finance Committee, defended the Biden administration’s actions.
“We are opening markets for hard-working American families and communities, especially our rural communities. Through negotiations, our administration has secured over USD 21 billion in new agricultural market access in the last three years,” she said.