| The decks could soon be cleared for the import of Harley Davidson motorbikes into the country. While the high-end bikes will not enjoy any cuts on import duty, the commerce ministry has now mooted capping the number of such bikes to be imported in a year. |
| It has also softened its stance on emission norms and indicated to the US that Euro norms were likely to be accepted. |
| However, the export of Indian mangoes continues to face hurdles, with the US now saying that Indian exporters could have to pay as much as half a dollar per mango towards �facility creation charge,� which includes costs on inspection and sanitary checks. |
| The two issues were discussed at a meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum here yesterday. |
| Officials said the commerce ministry indicated at the meeting that it would begin a dialogue with the surface transport ministry to recognise Euro emission norms for Harley Davidson motorcycles. |
| There was earlier a view to have separate emission norms for these bikes since current regulations in India do not prescribe any standards for high-end motorcycles. |
| However, the ministry has made it clear that it will not be able to offer any duty cuts on the import of bikes, which stand at over 60 per cent. |
| �The US side is also aware that any reduction in import duty is in the domain of the finance ministry,� an official said. |
| Officials said the US was not opposed to a quota since it had earlier said it was looking to sell around 10,000 motorbikes in 10 years. |
| Harley-Davidson is known for delivering �quality nostalgia,� and is loved for its �time warped� designs. Founded in 1903, the company reported global revenues of $5.34 billion in 2005, with a net income of $960 million. |
| Regarding mangoes, officials said a team of American officials would be visiting Indian orchards on December 18. �We are still hopeful that both sides will come to some understanding regarding mango exports,� an official said. |
| The US has not allowed import of Indian mangoes so far, citing its stringent sanitary and phyto-sanitary norms. |
Source:- Business-Standard
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