US lawmakers and policy experts have endorsed IMEC as a transformative trade corridor linking India and Europe…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) received strong bipartisan backing during a US congressional hearing, with lawmakers and policy experts describing it as a strategic alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and urging Washington to play a greater role in bringing the project to fruition.
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa heard that IMEC could significantly reduce transit times between India and Europe while strengthening regional economic integration and supply chain resilience.
Asher Fredman, Executive Director of the Misgav Institute for National Security and a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, described IMEC as “one of the most consequential infrastructure projects of this generation.”
“IMEC could become one of the most consequential infrastructure projects of this generation shortening transit times between India and Europe by approximately 51 percent, supporting strategic east west natural gas and digital infrastructure and creating a US-aligned zone of economic growth which serves as an alternative to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative,” Fredman told the committee.
He urged Congress to direct the US International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce to assess the corridor’s economic impact and prepare a roadmap identifying investment opportunities, commercially viable projects and measures to harmonise customs procedures.
“The United States should also convene an IMEC leaders forum and establish a standing secretariat to enhance accountability,” he said.
Former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told lawmakers that IMEC remained strategically important despite heightened tensions in the Middle East.
He said repeated disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz had reinforced the need for alternative trade and energy routes.
“The repeated closure of the Strait of Hormuz since March reinforces the value of alternative energy routes and expanded infrastructure, a core pillar of IMEC and similar efforts, and should energize near-term focus and investments on the infrastructure of that corridor,” Shapiro said.
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Mike Lawler cautioned against proposals that could exclude Israel from the corridor, arguing that regional cooperation was central to the project’s original vision.
“Recent reporting shows some officials are proposing to remove Israel from existing plans to develop an India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor, known as IMEC,” Lawler said.
He said Israel had been “a critical piece of the puzzle connecting Saudi Arabia and Greece” and revealed that he had written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the administration to ensure Israel remained part of the initiative.
Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also endorsed the project, saying economic connectivity initiatives such as IMEC could help foster greater regional cooperation.
“I think these are important steps where I think Congress, as the keeper of the purse, has a real role to play,” Friedman said.
“I would encourage Congress to always be looking for ways to create better economic opportunities. That is, of course, in most cases, how peace is born.”
Fredman acknowledged that political obstacles remained before the corridor could become fully operational.
“Even today, Saudi Arabia will not allow goods destined for Israel originating in Israel, to cross its territory,” he said.
However, he argued that Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become “a global logistics and transportation hub” could help overcome those barriers over time.
He also suggested that the United States could help finance new rail links connecting Saudi Arabia and Israel, saying such investments “would be good for American companies, for American technologies, and it would be good for making IMEC a reality.”
For India, IMEC is regarded as a flagship connectivity initiative that aims to reduce shipping times to Europe, diversify supply chains and strengthen trade links with West Asia and European markets. The corridor has also emerged as a key element of the expanding India-US strategic partnership and is widely viewed as a rules-based alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
