"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets,” Trump said in a proclamation. India said in response that it had offered resolutions to the US during bilateral trade discussions, and it’s "unfortunate” that those weren’t accepted. While the country will continue to work on improving ties with the US, its trade decisions would be guided by its own "development imperatives and concerns,” India’s trade ministry said in a statement. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who’s grown increasingly irked over India’s trade barriers and practices, has a longstanding frustration with the country’s self-designation as a developing nation at the World Trade Organization, the people said. Both nations had been exempted because of their status as developing countries.

Source: thestar June 02, 2019 01:07 UTC