New Delhi, will this week, push for a totalisation pact to do away with dual social security taxation for its workers, with US trade representative Katherine Tai under the India-US Trade Policy Forum.
“They wanted data on social security. We have given them data on EPFO, NPS and ESIC schemes. There are issues around totalisation,” said an official.
This assumes significance as India has already refused a Double Contribution Treaty with the UK in case of intra-corporate transfers.
“At present, temporary employees don’t get benefits in either of the countries and their savings get forfeited. We say don’t take money from the employees in the UK but let them continue with their social security in India,” the official said.
With the US, India will also take up issues related to H1, E1 and E2 visas taking too long.
“We took these up in the last TPF also,” the official said. Issues related to faster inspections of India’s pharma products and expedited approvals by the US are also on India’s agenda for the forum for which the US trade representative is visiting India from January 12 to 14.
The US is India’s largest trading partner with exports worth $44.47 billion in April-October FY24 and imports from Washington at $24.87 billion.
Concerned about its marine exports to the US getting impacted, New Delhi is also likely to raise the issue of Washington yet to approve certain fishing nets that exclude turtles while catching fish and shrimp, besides easier market access for its mangoes and table grapes.
WTO Disputes
While the two sides have resolved their seven disputes at the World Trade Organization, the official said that it is an “ongoing exercise” for steel exports to the US under Section 232 of a 1962 act that allows the president to restrict imports.
The seven disputes that have been settled were over poultry exports by the US, countervailing measures on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India, certain measures related to solar cells and modules, measures related to the renewable energy sector, India’s export-related measures, certain measures on steel and aluminium products, and additional duties on some products from the US.
