Significant barriers to U.S. trade and investment faced in the last year as well as the actions being taken by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to address those barriers.


INDIA

Tariffs: India maintains a system of cascading tariffs, taxes and other import charges that taken together are often cost-prohibitive.  India’s tariff regime is characterized by pronounced disparities between bound rates (i.e., the rates that under WTO rules generally cannot be exceeded) and applied rates (i.e., the actual rates charged), and the average applied rate is among the highest in the world.  Furthermore, India’s tariff schedule is not publicly available in one transparent, easily accessible location, which imposes significant burdens on importers.

Legal and Regulatory Issues: India’s legal and regulatory regime lacks transparency across all sectors.  U.S. companies report unnecessary burdens, bureaucratic delays, discrimination and corruption as a result of unclear and inconsistent implementation of India’s trade and investment rules.  Problems are encountered across all sectors, including government procurement, the tariff structure, import requirements, and investment policies.

http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/fact-sheets/2010/march/-2010-national-trade-estimate-report-key-elements