Date:21/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/21/stories/2006092103140500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

`Export controls not a barrier for Indo-US trade'

Special Correspondent

Trade with China on a larger scale in comparison to India, says US official Steven C. Goldman Trade with China on a larger scale in comparison to India, says US official Steven C. Goldman

CLOSE TALK: Steven C. Goldman, Director, Office of Non-Proliferation and Treaty Compliance, US Department of Commerce, having a conversation with Srini Raju, member, steering committee of FICCI, at a seminar in Hyderabad on Wednesday. --PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Export controls are not a constraint for expanding Indo-US high technology trade and 99 per cent of US items exported to India do not require a licence.

This was stated by Steven C. Goldman, Director, Office of Non-Proliferation and Treaty Compliance, US Department of Commerce, at a seminar on `Current and prospective opportunities for US-India high technology trade' here on Wednesday.

The seminar was organised by the US Department of Commerce and Indian Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Pointing out that the trade opportunities between the two countries were not fully exploited, he referred to `misperceptions that export controls pose a major barrier.' Giving a comparative account of the US advanced technology exports to India and China, he said that trade with China was much higher than India although more stringent export control rules were in place for that country.

Giving examples, he said that advanced technology exports in biotechnology in 2005 for China were of the order of $28.9 million as against $7.3 million to India.

Three key factors

Similarly in life sciences, goods worth $860 million were exported to China when compared to $262 million to India.

In nuclear technology, US exports to China were to the tune of $11 million as against $2 million to India.

Stating that currently there were no sanctions in place, the licence requirements might be based on three factors — commerce control list, end user or end use (just like every other country).

In case of India, many licence exceptions were available, adding that only 1 per cent of the total exports worth $8 billion required licences during 2005.

Later, in a brief chat with reporters, he said the Bush administration was working closely with the US Congress to make it possible for full scope technology cooperation in nuclear energy.

Viraj Singh, Deputy Secretary (Americas), Ministry of External Affairs, said that bilateral trade between the two countries rose from $16 billion in 2002 to $27 billion in 2005.