India has proposed zero duties for steel, car components and medicinal products, on a mutual basis and up to a certain imports, in the context of trade negotiations with the United States, according to Bloomberg.

In addition to this threshold, imported industrial products will be subject to normal duties, according to sources cited by the news agency. The proposal was submitted by Indian trade officials who visited Washington at the end of last month, with the aim of accelerating negotiations for a bilateral trade deal that is expected to be completed by autumn, according to the same sources.

The two countries prioritize specific areas to reach a preliminary trade agreement before the end of the 90 -day cessation of the reciprocal duties imposed by Donald Trump.

In the midst of shrinking the US economy, Trump implied on Sunday that some trade agreements could even close within the week, reducing the hopes of US trade partners seeking to avoid the deadline. Asian economies, including South Korea, Japan and India, are one of those who first seek to reach intermediate agreements with the Trump government.

Washington has also asked India to consider QCOS, which it considers non -duty barriers to commerce. These compulsory quality standards set specifications that both domestic and foreign manufacturers must meet before selling their products in India, and have been criticized as non -transparent and unjustly.

India has been willing to review the applicable QCOS in areas such as medical devices and chemicals, and offered the possibility of signing mutual recognition agreement with the US, under which the two countries would accept regulatory standards and processes of each other.

It remains unclear whether these proposals will eventually join the agreement.

Of just 14 QCOS before 2014, the number has exceeded 140 from 2017, according to a report.