India petitions US for duty free access for jewellery, lamps

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) India has filed a petition in the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on September 5, 2006 regarding the latter's proposed review of duty-free access to American market of several items including jewellery and non-electric lamps from India, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

"An oral statement has also been made regarding cucumber, hand hooked carpets and colour television reception apparatus at the public hearing before the Chairman of the GSP sub-commitee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee of the USTR on February 16, 2007," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jairam Ramesh told the House.

He said in a written reply that the action was proposed by that country under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Scheme of the US, which was to expire on December 31, 2006 and had been extended by further two years.

Along with the following items, review was proposed of other aromatic nitrile-function pesticides, fast colour bases and fast colour salts of diazo-, azo- or axoxy compounds as also wind powered electric generating sets during the 2006 annual review for products under the GSP.

To another question on rise in exports from 2000-01 to 2005-06, the Minister said India's exports had risen from 44.6 billion US dollars in 2000-01 to 103.1 billion US dollars in 2005-06, a growth of 23.4 per cent.

According to data of the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics for 2005-06, certain products having a notable technical and knowledge based content such as transport equipment, machinery and instruments, basic chemicals, pharma and cosmetics, project goods recorded high growth along with labour-intensive producs such as coffee, oilmeals, sugar and molasses, readymade garments, coir and coir manufacturers, handmade carpets excluding silk carpets.

Replying to another question, Mr Ramesh said a review of India's trade policy by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) of the World Trade Organisation was due to be held from May 23 to 25.

Periodic reviews by the TPRB enables the "regular collective appreciation and evaluation of the full range of individual members' trade policies and practices and their impact on the functioning of the multilateral trading system," the Minister said, adding that there were no binding implications of the coming review for India.

The review will also have no bearing on India's proposed free trade agreement with the ASEAN countries, he said in a written reply.

UNI