Senate Finance, Ways & Means Leaders Request ITC Investigation into India's Unfair Trade Practices

Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, along with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Ranking Member Sander Levin, D-Mich., sent a letter, also found below, to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) requesting the ITC conduct a second investigation into India’s unfair trade practices that discriminate against U.S. exports and investment. This request, which asks the ITC to deliver a report to Congress on September 24, 2015, follows a previous request made by the congressional leaders in August 2013. The report from the first request is scheduled to be delivered to Congress on December 15, 2014.

The Honorable Meredith Broadbent
Chairman
U.S. International Trade Commission
500 E Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20436

Dear Chairman Broadbent:

We are writing concerning the ongoing International Trade Commission investigation requested on August 2, 2013, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1332(g)) regarding India’s industrial policies that discriminate against U.S. trade and investment. We look forward to receiving this report, which is to focus on India’s policies during the period from 2003 through mid-2014, by the December 15, 2014 deadline.

Given the recent national elections in India and the formation of a new Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, and our interest in receiving the most comprehensive and up-to-date information possible, we now request under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 ((19 U.S.C. § 1332(g)) that the Commission conduct a second investigation concerning India’s industrial policies that discriminate against U.S. trade and investment since the first ITC investigation. In particular, we request that you include information about any significant changes by the new Indian government to the trade and investment policies identified in the ITC’s first report. The investigation should also include any new relevant trade and investment policies and practices, focusing on the period from mid-2014. We expect that this new investigation will allow the Commission to meet with relevant Indian government officials in the new Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and seek additional information from U.S. firms on any developments in India relevant to the scope of matters identified in our original August 2013 request.

We request that the Commission deliver this second report to us by September 24, 2015. As was the case with our earlier request, we do not expect the Commission to make findings regarding the legal merits of any Indian laws or policies. In addition, because we intend to make the report available to the public, we request that the Commission not include confidential business information.

Sincerely,

Ron Wyden
Chairman
Senate Committee on Finance

Dave Camp
Chairman
House Committee on Ways and Means

Orrin Hatch
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Finance

Sander Levin
Ranking Member
House Committee on Ways and Means

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