2013-04

Urging the United States to Push for Fair Trade with India

REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPH E. MIRÓ (DE) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, TRADE & IMMIGRATION TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, The Government of India has recently demanded that as much as 100 percent of its market for certain information technology and clean energy equipment must be satisfied by firms based domestically; and

WHEREAS, over the last year, the courts and policymakers in India have engaged in a persistent pattern designed to benefit India’s business community at the expense of American jobs; and

WHEREAS, administrative and court rulings of India have repeatedly ignored internationally recognized rights – including imposing arbitrary marketing restrictions on medical devices and denying, breaking, or revoking patents for nearly a dozen lifesaving medications; and

WHEREAS, the United States of American is the second-largest export trading partner to India; and

WHEREAS, the Government of India’s actions’ are unacceptable for a responsible middle-income country and rising global power; and

WHEREAS, these actions undermine international obligations to protect ideas, brands, and inventions and results in imported goods being treated less favorably than domestic products; and

WHEREAS, it is time the Government of India ends its discrimination against the U.S. exporters and take steps to ensure it is not repeated; and

WHEREAS, it is important that the U.S. government push for free trade with India from manufacturing to agriculture to services; now,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators urges the U.S. government immediately to initiate bilateral engagement at the highest levels and to coordinate closely with European countries to put pressure on India to open up for free trade.

THIS RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED ON JULY 13, 2013, AT THE NHCSL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN MASHANTUCKET, CONNECTICUT AND RATIFIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 2013 AT THE NHCSL ANNUAL MEETING HELD IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

SPONSORED BY: Representative Joseph E. Miró (DE)