Trump administration raises India’s trade status to Nato level

Washington, July 31: The Donald Trump administration has decided to put India in the Strategic Trade Authorisation -1 list of nations that eases export of high-tech items, thereby acknowledging the security and economic relationship between the two democracies and boosting their defence partnership, India's Ambassador to the US Navtej Singh Sarna said on Monday, July 30.

"It is a sign of trust not only in the relationship but also on India's capabilities an economy and as security partner, because it also presupposes that India has the multilateral export control regime in place, which would allow the transfer of more sensitive defence technologies and dual-use technologies to India and without the risk of any proliferation," PTI quoted Sarna as saying at a panel discussion at the first Indo-Pacific Business Forum organised by the US Chambers of Commerce soon after the country's commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, recognised India as an STA-1 country.

The latest development is a welcome boost for two nations that have seen some irritants in fields like immigration and trade, including that with third countries like Iran and Russia.

"This is an acknowledgement of the security as well as the economic relationship between India and the United States. This is a logical step of India being designated as a major defence partner," Sarna said.

Presently, 36 countries, mostly all Nato members, have the status and the diplomat called it to be a very elevated status from the viewpoint of export control.