Vance Go Back ! India is Not For Sale !

Withdraw from Trade Negotiations with USA and all Unequal FTAs
No Unequal Agreements in Agriculture, Dairy, Fishing in the Name of Free Trade
Stop Kowtowing to Imperialist Interests
Vance Go Back! India is Not For Sale!

Ashok Dhawale ,President 
Vijoo Krishnan ,General Secretary

The Narendra Modi led BJP Government is fast-tracking negotiations for conclusion of Free Trade Agreements with European Union, New Zealand and other countries as well as mega FTAs like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity involving 14 countries. The Indian Prime Minister capitulated to the diktats of Donald Trump and is going ahead with plans to ease tariff and non-tariff barriers for US products. Howard Lutnick, the US Commerce Secretary asserted that India should open its agriculture market and agriculture can not be ‘off the table’ in the negotiation of the Bilateral Trade Agreement. It is reported that India has already signaled willingness to have a zero-duty framework on imports of specific quantities of lentils and peas in line with the agreement with Australia for import of fixed quantities of lentils at zero duty. In the context of huge subsidies to American farmers, it is very clear that any Bilateral Trade Agreement will be extremely unequal.

Big American Commodity Cartels are raising the bogey of high domestic subsidies in India and trade barriers. Indian farmers must be forewarned that the Bilateral Trade Agreement under discussion will be the death-knell of dairy farmers as the US Dairy exports to India will make a quantum jump if tariffs and market restrictions are lifted. The threat does not end with the dairy sector alone; the US Wheat Associates claim that India has high levels of domestic support and trade distorting high tariffs. They are estimating a big increase in economic returns to US producers, an increase to the tune of $792 million by 2031/32. Similarly, in the case of Maize, there is a push to remove India’s import prohibition on genetically modified maize as well on ethanol with expectation of windfall gains for the USA to the tune of $300 million. Soybean, almond, pistachio, walnut, apple and horticultural crops are all up for negotiation. US based Commodity Cartels are ruling roost.

Even as Indian cotton farmers are already in an acute crisis and committing suicide and there is a continuous steady decline in annual cotton production from 37 million bales (170 kg each) in 2017-18 to 34.7 million bales in 2022-23 and estimated further decline to 31.6 million bales in 2023-24, the heightened negotiations for withdrawing tariffs is extremely insensitive. Notably, the Indian Government has increased the maximum Retail Price of Bollgard II by Rs.48/- per packet of 450 gm on the eve of the visit of the US Trade Delegation. Given that on an average 4.5 crore packets are sold annually; one can imagine the humongous profits that will accrue to big agribusinesses. This increase in price by over 5.6 percent comes after a similar 5 percent increase a year ago. It is a deliberate move so that cheaper cotton from USA can encroach upon the market share of Indian farmers. Whose interests are being served by the Prime Minister and the BJP-led NDA?

A Mission 500 aiming to double total trade to $500 billion by 2030 is in the offing according to news reports. All negotiations are being done without taking State Governments or the Parliament into confidence. Such Agreements also do not assure the implementation of International Labour Standards. While countries like China, Canada, Mexico etc., made a resolute push-back against Trump’s tariffs and rallied to defend their economic interests, India has chosen to capitulate and surrender its national interests. Notably, Canada and Mexico with more than 70 percent of exports to the USA did not blink an eye before hitting back, while India with nearly 18 percent exports to USA is refusing to stand up against the strong-arm tactics of USA. The recent tie up of Airtel and Jio with Elon Musk’s company Starlink at the behest of the government even as the US President Trump continues to humiliate India is the latest such instance. Apart from agriculture, the interests of the MSMEs across sectors like generic pharmaceuticals to auto parts and millions of workers across these sectors are also going to be adversely hit.

The Vice President of USA J.D.Vance and United States Trade Representative are slated to visit India in April. It is the need for all Indians, cutting across political lines to unite and give a call like “Simon Go Back”. Vance Go Back! India is Not For Sale! AIKS calls upon all units to organize broad-based protests against the BJP-led NDA Government’s total capitulation before US imperialism.