Autobayng News Team
These concessions are designed to boost imports and exports without impacting local manufacturers.“>
American giants Harley Davidson, Jeep and Tesla are the likely big winners of the trade deal with govt offering concessions, without upsetting domestic industry.
For Harley Davidson, US President Donald Trump has managed concessions which his predecessors couldn’t manage by getting zero duty access for 800-1,600 cc mean machines. Tariffs will go down from the day the framework agreement between India and the US are implemented, those familiar with the decision said. “The concessions are only for Harley Davidson bikes and not for other players,” an official clarified.
There are also concessions for large cars and electric vehicles, a move that may benefit Elon Musk’s Tesla, although the full details are currently unavailable. What is currently known is that a specified number of vehicles with over 3,000 CC engine capacity will see duty reduced from the current 110 per cent to 50 per cent once the agreement takes effect. Over the next 10 years it will come down to zero. With American players such as Ford and GM leaving the Indian market, it is only Jeep that stands to benefit at the moment by launching new models through the import route.“The trade deal is a positive step and, once the finer details are in place. It opens up a wide range of opportunities for brands like Jeep. We have a strong global portfolio with products positioned above Compass and Meridian, and we are evaluating how these could fit into the Indian market. At the same time, we are also looking to explore possibilities of exports from India, as reduced trade barriers will help enhance manufacturing competitiveness, expand export potential, and support the seamless integration of our India operations into global supply chains. This, in turn, creates the possibility of introducing advanced technologies and select global offerings for Indian customers, while we continue to evaluate opportunities in a calibrated manner,” said Shailesh Hazela, MD & CEO, Stellantis India, which has Jeep and Citroen in its portfolio.
Harley, Tesla to benefit, but no risk to desi firmsThe deal will benefit Harley Davidson, Jeep and Tesla as the govt has offered concessions, but without upsetting the domestic industry. Harley will get zero duty access for 800-1,600 cc bikes. The duty cut on a specified number of 3,000cc engine capacity vehicles won’t upset Indian carmakers. An industry executive said, “None of the Indian manufacturers is in that segment and the volumes for Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen and Skoda are low.”
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