Health industry leaders expressed satisfaction with the interim agreement reached between India and the US regarding bilateral trade. Under this agreement, the US will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, eliminating tariffs on sectors like generic pharmaceuticals, gems, diamonds, and aircraft parts. The deal is seen as favorable for India compared to its neighboring countries.
Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Devices (AiMeD), welcomed the trade deal, highlighting the faster import license process for US devices compared to Indian manufacturers. He emphasized the need for reciprocal fairness in trade to benefit both nations’ innovations, especially in the medical technology sector.
The agreement also mentioned that India will benefit from negotiated outcomes concerning generic pharmaceuticals and ingredients based on the US Section 232 investigation. Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, stressed the importance of strengthening the India-US medicines partnership for national security, noting exemptions for generics from tariffs and ongoing investigations in the pharmaceutical sector.
