(Source: China Daily)

The US trade representative on Monday will announce a trade enforcement action tied to India, his office said, a move that could further rile relations after an incident last year involving the arrest and strip-search of an Indian consul.

US Trade Representative Michael Froman will discuss the action at a news conference at 2 pm (1900 GMT), his office said on Sunday night. The Office of the US Trade Representative said it could offer no additional details.

On Friday, the US Chamber of Commerce called on Washington to ratchet up pressure on India over intellectual property rights, a move that could help prevent Indian companies from producing cheap generic versions of medicines still under patent protection.

Also this week, the US International Trade Commission has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday to look into Indian trade and investment practices.

In a submission to the USTR, the Chamber of Commerce asked that India be classified as a Priority Foreign Country, a tag given to the worst offenders when it comes to protecting intellectual property and one that could trigger trade sanctions.