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India, US seek to futureproof trade agreement amid tax and tariff concerns
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Asit Ranjan Mishra
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The US is pressing India to commit to not reintroducing the so-called 'Google tax', while New Delhi is seeking protection from potential future tariffs on pharmaceutical exports as part of the ongoing trade-deal negotiations.
Starting April 1, India abolished the 6 per cent equalisation levy on online advertising services provided by non-resident entities, also known as Google tax.
The move, announced in March, was aimed at sending a positive signal to US President Donald Trump, who had threatened reciprocal tariffs on high-tariff nations. Apart from Google, the decision also benefited other US-based tech majors, such as Meta and X (formerly
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