NEW DELHI - India announced on Wednesday reforms ‍to cut ‍red tape and simplify ​its import quality checks, addressing a concern raised ⁠by the U.S. over what it described ⁠as the South ‌Asian country's "burdensome" import-quality requirements. New Delhi and Washington have been working ⁠to thrash out a trade agreement, which India hopes will bring relief from a 50% tariff imposed ⁠by President Donald Trump ​on some of its main exports as punishment for ‍its Russian oil purchases.

The reforms on ​import checks include reduced paperwork, shorter timelines, and fewer inspections for quality approvals, the trade ministry said in a statement.

"The reforms aim to accelerate processes, reduce turnaround times, and leverage technology-driven systems to make quality assurance faster, more transparent, and ⁠more accessible for enterprises, ‌institutions, and citizens," said Jaxay Shah, the chairman of the Quality ‌Council of ⁠India.