US, India agree to take comprehensive look to expand bilateral trade relationship

INTERNATIONAL DESK: US and India on Wednesday (local time) agreed to take a comprehensive look at ways to expand the bilateral trade relationship.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal met virtually and looked forward to their upcoming meetings in New Delhi (November 22-23).

Both leaders agreed to take a comprehensive look at ways to expand the bilateral trade relationship and ensure the future success of the US-India Trade Policy Forum, read Tai’s statement.

They also shared perspectives on how to reach meaningful outcomes at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), added Tai’s readout.

MC12 was originally scheduled to take place in June 2020 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. It is attended by trade ministers and other senior officials from the organization’s 164 members.

Under the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO, the conference is held once every two years. The first Ministerial Conference (MC1) was held in Singapore in 1996. The last conference i.e. MC11 was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2017. (ANI)