“Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai”: Ahead Of Visit, Pompeo Says US Open To Dialogue Over Reinstating GSP Status To India 

The US hinted at the possibility of reinstating the Generalized System of Preferences(GSP) for India, as the Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is expected to discuss this as well as 5G network technology and data localisation during his visit to India later this month, reports The Hindu.

“We’ll probably discuss the recent decision about the GSP program. We hope that our friends in India will drop their trade barriers and trust the competitiveness. It’s only natural that the world's most populous democracy should partner with the world’s oldest democracy.” Mr. Pompeo said on his upcoming trip to New Delhi, addressing a gathering at the U.S.-India Business Council in Washington D.C.

Pompeo was lavish in his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with references to rise to power, his recent election victory and a campaign slogan: “Modi hai to mumkin hai (If Modi is there, it is possible).”

GSP is a programme for preferential access to certain goods markets in the U.S which has been a source of friction along with data localisation regulations and proposed policies between both the countries.

The Trump administration is insisting its allies and partner countries to block access to the Chinese telecom giant Huawei to their next generation telecommunication networking markets. Huawei has been put on a trade blacklist for U.S. companies.