The US had removed India from the GSP programme, which allowed duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of annual exports to the US, citing lack of reciprocal market access.
India meets the criteria for the trade concessions that the United States eliminated in June, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said ahead of Prime Minister NarendraModi’s trip to the US beginning Sunday and urged the Trump administration to restore the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for Indian traders.The US had removed India from the GSP programme, which allowed duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of annual exports to the US, citing lack of reciprocal market access.However, speculation is rife that India and the US will announce a trade package during Modi’s visit.
The PM will visit the US from September 21-27 and during his trip meet President Donald Trump and address the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Gokhale told media persons on Thursday. “Prime Minister Modi will also interact with members of US Congress during his visit,” he said.Modi and Trump are expected to meet in New York on September 24 for their third standalone meeting this year. Trump will join Modi on Sunday at the mega ‘Howdy Modi’ rally in Houston which will be attended by members of the Indian-American community.A day before the rally, Modi will meet a group of Kashmiri Pandits in Houston in the backdrop of abolition of Article 370 of Constitution which granted special status to J&K.
In Houston, Modi will also meet executives of energy firms BP PLC and Exxon Mobil Corporation to discuss investment opportunities in India.Even as imports of crude oil from the United States have steadily grown, India is looking at expanding oil imports from Russia and the Far East amid uncertainty over supplies after an attack on Saudi Arabian facilities last weekend.
The PM will address the UNGA on the morning of September 27, said the foreign secretary. At the UN, Modi will also take part in an event on climate change where he will talk about the efforts made by India to combat climate change.
As the world commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, Modi will host a special event, titled ‘Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World’, on September 24. He will be joined by leaders of a few other countries at this event.
The PM will hold as many as 20 bilateral meets during his US visit, which will also see the launch of Gandhi Solar Park involving installation of solar panels on the rooftop of the UN headquarters in New York from a grant of $1 million that India has given to promote renewable energy and showcase its commitment to use of solar energy.
This year Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s ‘Global Goalkeeper’s Award’ will be given to Modi for his leadership in the field of sanitation.
The award is given annually to a world leader for achievements in a specific sustainable development goal.The PM would also attend a counterterrorism related meeting and two other business meetings in New York.Besides, he will attend an investment event along with executives from JPMorgan Chase & Co, Lockheed Martin, MastercardInc and Walmart Inc.
