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EU urges India to cut tariffs on clothing imports
Brussels, May 06: The European Union urged India today to cut tariffs on clothing imports as the EU prepares to open its own textile markets as part of an international trade deal.
Speaking to journalists at an international textile trade conference, Lamy said the EU will press India to drop its tariffs during upcoming global trade negotiations.
However, the Indians refuse any link between the upcoming trade round designed to lower tariffs and the rich countries commitment to phase out quotas by 2005.
"There should be no link between the trade round and the previous textile accord," said Siddharth Rajgopal, executive director of India's cotton textiles export promotion council.
India's contests European claims about 39 per cent tarrifs. K K Jalan, joint secretary at India's ministry of textiles, insisted the country had no tariffs above 25 per cent.
"The Europeans are deliberately confusing the issue," Jalan told a newswire service.
Bureau Report