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“Despite repeated requests from the United States, India has not provided scientific evidence to
substantiate this assertion, and has declined to take into account evidence to the contrary submitted by
the United States,” the report said. The Indian import certificate for pork requires that importers make
an attestation that the imported pork does not contain any residues of pesticides, veterinary drugs,
mycotoxins, or other chemicals above the MRLs prescribed in international standards, the report said.
However, these certificates fail to identify specific compounds and their corresponding international
limits, the USTR said. The US has requested India’s authorities to perform a risk assessment to support
its restrictions on pork imports and continues to press India to lift the restrictions, it added.
Observing that India maintains zero-tolerance standards for certain plant quarantine pests such as weed
seeds and ergot, which block US wheat and barley imports, the report said bilateral discussions to
resolve these issues, including at the senior official level, have achieved little success to date.
On June 28, 2011, U.S and Indian officials discussed this issue, and India agreed to collaborate further by
exchanging ergot strains and testing them on barley under controlled conditions, it said. Referring to its
March 6 request for consultations with India under the dispute settlement provisions of WTO regarding
import prohibitions on certain US agricultural exports, the report said India’s import prohibitions are
purportedly for the purpose of preventing the entry of avian influenza. “The United States is concerned
that India has not provided a valid, scientifically-based justification for the import prohibitions,” it said.
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Shinde calls on US corporates to invest in energy sector
Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has called on US corporate leaders to invest in India saying the
country is moving on the path of massive investment in the energy sector.
Shinde, yesterday, also met the US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, during which the two leaders
discussed ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, in particular the
alternate sources of energy and energy conservation. In his address to a meeting of US private sector
organised by US India Business Council yesterday, Shinde said India is moving on the path of massive
investment in the energy sector, especially electricity generation and transmission. Energy security is of
vital economic and strategic significance for us.
A number of financial, technological and exploratory initiatives already exist with the US in clean and
renewable energy and energy conservation and efficiency and we now need to explore economic
partnerships between the Indian and US companies in this shift to clean energy, he said. "There are
excellent opportunities in India to examine the feasibility of clean energy technologies, which will be a
win-win situation for India and the United States," Shinde said. No doubt India’s power sector presents a
massive opportunity to the American companies, Shinde acknowledged the concerns of the investors
from the US.
I am also aware of the concerns of investors with respect to land acquisition, coal sourcing, financial
health of discoms, pricing reforms, payment security and contract sanctity, he said. Recognizing the
need for an overall and comprehensive legal architecture and a policy framework conducive to larger
and more sustained investment in the power sector, the Government of India took numerous steps to
facilitate reforms in the sector, he said. Shinde said the Indian government has proposed various
proposals in the Budget 2012 to stimulate investments.
"A crucial Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill are under the consideration of the
Parliament," he said.
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