US presses India for full e-commerce access to Amazon, Walmart amid trade deal talks: Report

The US administration is searching for to negotiate with India to present full market access to on-line retailers like Amazon and Walmart in its £125 billion ecommerce sector, as a part of trade discussions carried out beneath potential tariff improve threats, in accordance to stories from Financial Times.
US officers, trade executives and lobbyists reportedly indicated plans to urge Prime Minister Modi’s administration for equal alternatives in ecommerce throughout complete US-India trade settlement discussions, encompassing numerous sectors from meals to cars.
This comes after US vice-president JD Vance’s assembly with PM Modi in New Delhi on Monday resulted in each events acknowledging “significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial” trade settlement, as said by Indian authorities officers. They additionally recognised ongoing collaborative efforts in power, defence and strategic applied sciences.
India’s exports to the US face a possible 26 per cent tariff, although President Trump has briefly suspended this for 90 days to facilitate negotiations.
Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos participated in Trump’s January inauguration, while Walmart’s Doug McMillon met privately with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. McMillon later joined different retail executives on the White House on Monday for tariff discussions.
An unnamed trade government revealed that McMillon addressed India’s restrictions on international ecommerce enterprises at Mar-a-Lago. Walmart maintains possession of Indian on-line retailer Flipkart.
The US initiative to increase retail access in India positions Bezos and McMillon towards Asia’s wealthiest particular person, Mukesh Ambani, whose Reliance group dominates Indian retail and operates a number of ecommerce platforms.
Current Indian laws limit US ecommerce companies to working solely as on-line marketplaces for third-party sellers. In distinction, home rivals can manufacture, personal and promote merchandise via their platforms. Washington classifies this alongside international direct funding limitations in retail as a “non-tariff barrier”.
“Since 2006, the US has been trying to open up India’s domestic market, and has been stymied successfully ever since,” sted Arvind Singhal, chair of retail consulting agency Technopak Advisors.
Beyond stock restrictions, US retailers have encountered repeated Bureau of Indian Standards product inspections, in accordance to trade executives talking anonymously due to ongoing trade negotiations.
Two trade executives confirmed to the Financial Times the Trump administration’s shut coordination with US ecommerce platforms throughout negotiations.
Meanwhile, Trump has labelled India the “tariff king” up to now due to its protecting insurance policies. As India’s largest buying and selling accomplice, each nations goal to improve bilateral trade in items and companies to $500 billion, exceeding twice the present quantity.