US slams India over farm goods

DOHA TALKS: Kamal Nath promises India, US would find convergence in their positions.

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Washington: India and the US continue to be at loggerheads over the Doha round of WTO talks. The G4 meeting between India, Brazil, US and the EU broke up in Germany last week over the issue of tariffs and market access for farm goods. The dispute's spilled over to Washington.

Just days after India walked out of the G4 trade talks in Potsdam, Germany, to break the deadlock on the Doha round, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered an indirect rebuke in her speech at the US India Business Council's annual meeting in Washington DC.

Rice said, “I have said before that failing to realize the promise of Doha would be a historic missed opportunity. I stand by that. It would be a tragedy and a true shame if we did not complete this historic agreement."

Speaking later at the same meeting, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab was more blunt, accusing India of misusing its newfound clout. The US blames India for refusing to open up its markets to American farm goods.

"Perhaps India and other major trading countries are still assessing their new responsibilities. It's my earnest hope that they come to terms with the reality that the benefits of accepting this responsibility will dwarf the political and economic challenges of doing so," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said.

But Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath refused to yield on the subject of market access for American farm exports.

Kamal Nath said, “Indian agriculture is subsistence, it's not commerce. You can negotiate commerce, but you cannot negotiate subsistence. “

Kamal Nath however promised that India and the US would eventually find convergence in their positions.

For now, the only giveaway on the agricultural front that India was happy to oblige with, was a basketful of juicy Indian mangoes gifted to the US Secretary of State.