India is holding consultations with the US to resolve the issues relating to visa fee and the solar power case at the WTO, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia today said.
India would take up the matter further appropriately if the issues do not get resolved at the consultation level, she said, but did not elaborate further.
“The first step will be to try and resolve the issues so that the perspective from where we are coming is understood.
In the event, that if we are not be able to reach an agreement or to an understanding, than we would take the matter further and that is very clear,” she told reporters here.
India had earlier said that it would file 16 cases against the US for violating WTO treaties as certain programmes of the western country in the renewable energy sector are “inconsistent” with global norms.
It has also stated that the country would appeal against WTO’s panel ruling that the country’s power purchase agreements with solar firms are inconsistent with the international norms.
Ruling against India, WTO had said the government’s power purchase agreements with solar firms were inconsistent with international norms.
The US had dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on this issue in 2014, alleging that the clause relating to domestic content requirement in the country’s solar power mission was discriminatory in nature and “nullified” benefits accruing to the American solar power developers.
Further, India and the US recently held a two-day bilateral consultation over the American move to impose high fees on temporary working visas.
In March, India dragged the US to the WTO’s dispute settlement body against imposition of higher visa fees on certain applicants for L-1 and H-1B categories. India feels the move to increase fees would impact Indian IT professionals.
Source:PTI
