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India remains on the US Trade Representative's priority watch list for intellectual property concerns, citing inconsistent progress and long-standing issues with its Patents Act. The report highlights worries over data protection for pharma and agri-chemical products, alongside high customs duties on IP-intensive goods. Weak enforcement of copyrights and trademarks also remain key issues.

India remains on the US Trade Representative's Priority Watch List for intellectual property protection, a designation that carries no legal ramifications but serves as a negotiation tool. The US cited concerns over pharmaceutical IP rules, while India maintains its regime ensures affordable medicine access and WTO compliance.

India and the US are nearing a bilateral trade agreement, with negotiators reporting significant progress and only a few issues remaining. Discussions are described as positive and productive, focusing on market access and tariff alignment. This potential deal, aimed at boosting trade between the two nations, is expected to be a win-win, marking a key milestone in economic ties.

The agreement had originally been expected to be signed in March, but developments in the Donald Trump tariff regime following a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States have changed the circumstances.

The United States is set to host an Indian delegation this month, signaling renewed momentum in bilateral trade talks. This follows a productive meeting between US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is in the US to review trade, defense, and technology ties.

A small elephant tusk, hidden for years, has unearthed a wildlife crime investigation in Chhattisgarh. The tusk's journey from a field find to a house wall reveals a suspected poaching and trade network. Arrests have been made, with authorities probing a possible elephant drowning and a larger illegal trade operation.

India's solar panel, electronics, and garment exports face heightened US scrutiny following a new trade probe into forced labor in global supply chains. The investigation, covering 60 economies including India, examines goods made with forced labor or using inputs from such sources. This could impact Indian exporters reliant on Chinese components, demanding stricter documentation and compliance.

The US trade representative's office has launched Section 301 investigations into 60 economies, including India, for failing to address forced labor in imports. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling and aims to determine if foreign governments are sufficiently prohibiting goods made with forced labor, impacting US workers and businesses. New tariffs on several countries are possible by summer.

The economies included in the investigation are China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India.