New Delhi - As negotiations for a long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United States enter their final stretch, India is making a last-minute, high-stakes push for full tariff elimination on its labour-intensive exports.

According to Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), without duty-free access for sectors like garments, footwear, carpets, and leather goods, the deal could become politically unsellable at home. India's insistence is rooted in a combination of economic strategy and domestic political considerations.

These labour-intensive sectors--dominated by small and medium enterprises and providing . . .