New Delhi, Jan 8 (UNI) In a major boost to India-US bilateral trade, Indian mangoes and pomegranates have got market access in USA with the Government’s Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (DAC&FW) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) signing a framework agreement for implementing the '2 Vs 2' agri market access issues.

While Mango and Pomegranate exports will start from January-February 2022, exports of pomegranate arils to the US and that of Alfalfa hay and cherries from USA will begin in April 2022.

The agreement is a follow up of the 12th ministerial-level meeting of the India-USA Trade Policy Forum meeting held on November 23, 2021 co-chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

The two sides agreed on market access facilitation for mangoes and pomegranates, pomegranate arils from India, and cherries and alfalfa hay for animal feed from the US.

Based on the ministerial discussions, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Government also conveyed its readiness to provide market access for US pork and requested the US side to share a signed copy of final sanitary certificate for concluding the same.

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