Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) retains India on Special 301 priority watch list

Exam-focused facts from the 3 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

USTR retained India on its Special 301 priority watch list, along with China, Russia, Indonesia, Chile, and Venezuela.
Vietnam was designated as a Priority Foreign Country, the first such designation in 13 years, and USTR will decide on a Section 301 investigation within 30 days.
Argentina was removed from the priority watch list, while the European Union was added to the watch list.
USTR criticised India's patent regime, weak enforcement of copyrights and trademarks, and high customs duties on IP-intensive products such as ICT, solar energy equipment, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and capital goods.
USTR stated that India remains 'one of the world's most challenging major economies' with respect to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property.