New Delhi, July 9 -- India has raised concerns over contradictions in the United States' tariff policy at a public hearing on the Office of the US Trade Representative's (USTR) proposal to impose levies on goods linked to forced labour, arguing that US's own exemptions undermine the policy rationale behind the move.

Testifying before a USTR panel on Wednesday, Brij Mohan Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, noted that the US exempts around 1,600 items that cannot be produced or grown domestically from scrutiny under its forced labour framework.

Responding to a question, Mishra said, "What we submit is that the exemptions provided by the USTR not only undermine the policy rationale of addressing forced labour impact in the glob...