Mumbai: The United States today (Sep 16, 2004) said India's surplus in bilateral trade has created imbalance, leading to apprehensions over commitment to level playing field while it flagged the issues of high technology exports and free movement of professionals.

Raising concerns over slow pace of trade liberalisation in India, US Under Secretary of State (economic-business) Alan Larson said in Mumbai, "The imbalance in our trading relationship continues to expand and India's trade surplus with US has more than tripled in the last decade and is likely to top $10 billion this year."

"Because India has only slowly opened its market to the outside world, this growing imbalance raises concerns in the US Government and in American industry about India's commitment to ensure there is level playing field," he said while addressing the Indo-US Economic Summit.

Indian merchandise exports to the US were $13 billion in 2003 and likely to reach $15 billion in 2004.

At the same time, American exports to India have not fared well and have languished between $3-4 billion a year since 1995, he added.

Countering US view, Union Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan said, "The country is committed to reforms including FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and has honoured all international commitments and will continue to so."

India also has concerns about certain US policies, including free movement of persons, restrictions on high technology exports and pharmaceuticals, Chavan said.