India is set to advocate for swifter inspections and audits by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Indian pharmaceutical companies. The government aims to present a compelling case for the acceleration of these processes during the India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meet scheduled for Friday.

Ahead of the TPF meeting, a working group session addressed various concerns, with India emphasizing the need to remove the ban on the export of wild-caught shrimp to the United States. Additionally, export control regulations for high-tech products and technologies were brought to the forefront during discussions.

One of the key issues that India plans to raise is the reinstatement of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status, a move that would enhance access for Indian products in the US market. The GSP status, which benefited Indian exports until 2019, was withdrawn by the Trump administration. Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to mend trade relations, the restoration of GSP benefits has not materialized, and it is anticipated to be a focal point during the meeting between US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

The United States stands as India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral goods trade exceeding USD 69 billion from April to October. Over recent years, both nations have collaborated to eliminate various trade impediments, signaling an improvement in their trade relations.

For the Indian government, which aspires to position the country as a global pharmaceutical provider, obtaining faster clearances from the USFDA is imperative. Officials have raised concerns about the significant backlog resulting from the pause in inspections post-Covid. To address this, India proposes the implementation of either digital or physical inspections, underscoring the urgency due to the US being the primary market for Indian pharmaceutical exports.

The contentious issue of the US-imposed export ban on Indian wild-caught shrimp will also be a key point of discussion during the TPF meeting.