India has no plan to drag US to WTO

NEW DELHI, INDIA: India is trying to sort out the hike in visa fee and outsourcing ban issues bilaterally with the United States and has no immediate plan to go to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) court.

"We have already lodged complaints. There are positive developments and I am hopeful that the issue will be resolved bilaterally," D.K. Mittal, additional secretary at the ministry of commerce and industry, told reporters here on Monday.

He said the WTO court should be the last option for such issues. "You can't talk everything at the WTO. Our preference is to resolve the issue bilaterally," Mittal added.

The US government recently increased visa fee by $2,000 for certain H-1B and $2,250 for L-1A and L-1B, which Indian government has said is against the fair trade rules of the World Trade Organisation.

India has also criticised the US state of Ohio's decision to forbid outsourcing of IT services by government departments.

"Such measures are no doubt protectionist but we won't get much by going to WTO," said Mittal, adding the bilateral negotiation was the best option given the current circumstances.

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma along with senior officials will visit US next week and take up the matter with the Obama administration and law makers.