Washington: It was an unusual diplomatic reception in Washington DC. For a city used to evening salons marked by wine and cheese, laced with intense discussions on the latest geopolitical twist, an air of informality, replete with optimism and laughter, marked the mood at the India House — the official residence of the Indian ambassador to the United States (US) — on Thursday.
Guests, ranging from elected representatives in the Congress and Congressional staffers to senior administration officials, thinktankers and diplomats, queued up to get a taste of the Indian summer.
The occasion: Indian mangoes returned to America for the first time since the pandemic. On the table was the Alphonso from Maharashtra, Banganapalle from Andhra Pradesh; Kesar from Gujarat and Himayat from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
But behind the return of the mangoes lay a story of hard diplomatic and trade negotiations between the two sides.
The export of Indian mangoes had stopped during the pandemic, as US Department of Agriculture inspectors were unable to visit India to inspect irradiation facilities due to travel restrictions.
At the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in November last year, commerce minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai achieved a breakthrough. The US agreed to give market access to Indian mangoes and pomegranates; India, in turn, agreed to give market access to cherries and alfalfa hay and pork from the US. They agreed to follow joint protocols on irradiation, a revised work plan was worked out, including a phase-wise transfer of oversight of pre-clearance treatment of irradiation treatment to India.
Since the TPF, even as a broader trade deal remains elusive due to domestic political reasons, several working groups — including one on agricultural issues — have been working on regulatory issues as well as to resolve differences and find common ground in preparation for the next ministerial scheduled for later this year.
There are clear economic stakes involved in the mango trade. As Mint reported in January, India had exported 800 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of mangoes to the US in 2017-18 and the export value of the fruit was $2.75 million. In 2019-20, India exported 1,095 MT of mangoes, worth $4.35 million. The figures represent a fraction of what India believes is the potential of the trade.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian ambassador to the US, pointed out that India produced more than 40% of theworld’s mangoes. “This is a reflection of the strength, robustness and maturity in the India-US partnership. As friends, we are able to sit across, discuss and resolve challenges that come our way. It shows the huge potential that exists in our partnership,” said Sandhu.
Referring to India-US trade crossing a record $160 billion last year, he added that mangoes and mango leaves symbolised prosperity and good fortune. “They are considered auspicious. I hope that India-US relations move to greater heights in the months and years ahead, and bring riches to the people of India and the US, and the world at large.”
