Pretty familiar with Indian agri subsidy: US Commerce Secy

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross today said he is "pretty familiar" with the Indian situation about agricultural subsidy.

India has been keenly pushing agriculture issues, including that of subsidies, at various international platforms such as the WTO Ministerial Conference.

However, some WTO member countries, including the US, target the subsidies given by the developing economies to their poor farmers.

"I'm pretty familiar with the Indian situation. I had an office there for six or eight years in Mumbai, I understand quite a bit about India," Ross told members of the House Ways and Means Committee during a hearing on recent aluminium and steel trade actions.

Ross did not elaborate further.

He was responding to a question on the alleged agricultural subsidy in India from Senator John Smith.

Smith urged Ross to look into some countries such as India where they oversubsidise their agriculture products such as rice and other grains that definitely are to the detriment to American farmers.

"I believe in free trade but it has to be fair trade. And in order to make sure we have free trade, we have to punish those people who are in breach of contracts," Smith said.