A top American trade advocacy group has vehemently opposed any move by the US to designate India a Priority Foreign Country, saying the Indian Government has been responsive to issues raised on the intellectual property rights (IPR) front over the past year.
The US India Business Council (USIBC) has told the US Trade Representatives (USTR) that it strongly recommends against India being designated a Priority Foreign Country as being advocated by influential pharma lobbying groups. “USIBC does not believe there is a legal or policy basis to designate India as a Priority Foreign Country,” USIBC president Ron Somers said in a submission made to the USTR which is looking into the demands of the lobbying groups. A Priority Foreign Country is a status reserved for those nations that are the most egregious violators of IP rights and have the most negative impact on US competitiveness abroad.