Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)
The Hidden Frontier of Trade Liberalisation
While tariff reduction gets headline attention, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) — regulatory, procedural, and standards-based measures that restrict trade — are often more significant in modern trade disputes. In the India-US context, NTBs have been a persistent flashpoint: India maintains price capping on medical devices (under the DPCO — Drug Price Control Order), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) restrictions on US dairy and poultry, mandatory testing and certification requirements, and intellectual property enforcement concerns.
- Medical devices: India's price capping under the DPCO (Drugs Price Control Order, under the Essential Commodities Act) has been challenged by US industry as a market access barrier. The US has demanded its removal or reform as part of trade negotiations.
- Agriculture: India's SPS measures restrict imports of US pork, poultry, and genetically modified crops — the US has consistently raised these at WTO dispute settlement bodies.
- Dairy: India prohibits imports of dairy products from countries that allow cattle to be fed with animal-derived feed — a religious and cultural sensitivity that makes dairy one of the most politically untouchable sectors.
- Digital trade: India's data localisation requirements (for certain categories of data) and proposed mandates for algorithmic transparency are US concerns.
- Intellectual Property: The US has repeatedly placed India on its "Priority Watch List" under Special 301 (a US trade law provision) for inadequate IP protection — particularly on pharmaceutical patents.
● Tracked since February 20, 2026 · last seen June 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
International Relations
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
International Relations
India-US Trade Relations
Polity & Governance
India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement
International Relations
Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act, 1962
International Relations
Bilateral Trade Agreements
International Relations
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
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