Using all platforms to flag non-tariff barriers impacting trade: Official

India is using all multilateral and bilateral platforms including G20 to flag concerns with regard to non-tariff barriers (NTBs) which are impacting the free flow of trade, a top government official said on Friday.

India has already raised its concerns on issues like the European Union's (EU) carbon tax on different platforms, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

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Such measures by G20 member countries are likely to figure in the trade ministers' meeting of the grouping next week in Jaipur.

"Definitely, we are discussing those NTBs and we are also discussing how to find a good solution, how to find a platform where we can coordinate on these issues and we can understand these issues," Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters here.

The two-day Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) is scheduled on August 24 and 25 in Jaipur.

The secretary also said that on the sidelines of TIMM, several high-level bilateral meetings will be held with countries such as the UK, Canada and the EU to discuss progress with regard to proposed free trade agreements.

Negotiations on such agreements are underway with all these countries.

The five priority areas which will be discussed in the meeting are trade for growth and prosperity; trade and resilient global supply chain; integrating MSMEs in global trade; logistics for trade; and WTO reforms.

Strengthening mutual cooperation in the G20 to increase transparency in the use of non-tariff measures will be discussed in the meeting.

Barthwal said that "all platforms will be used" to discuss these barriers.

Citing an example of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is going to impact exports of certain sections of Indian industry, he said there will be compliance with this mechanism and there are certain regulatory requirements.

"We will be discussing those issues multilaterally as well as bilaterally, wherever the opportunity arises," the secretary said.

According to a report by think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India needs to act in a fast-track manner for the removal of NTBs, being faced by domestic exporters in different countries like the US, China and Japan, to achieve one trillion dollar outbound shipment target for goods by 2030.

These barriers come in the form of cumbersome registration requirements and unreasonable standards/rules.

Key Indian exports that routinely face high barriers include chillies, tea, Basmati rice, milk, poultry, bovine meat, fish, chemicals products to the EU; sesame seed, black tiger shrimps, medicines, apparel to Japan; food, meat, fish, dairy, industrial products to China; shrimps to the US and bovine meat to South Korea.

On bilateral meetings, the secretary said that a lot of ministers will be coming from countries including the US, UK, and Canada.

"This G20 ministerial meeting is useful for us to conduct some of the important bilaterals with respect to our FTAs. The UK is coming with their team. We will be having high-level meetings with the UK on FTA," Barthwal said.

There will also be discussions on what "we have done" so far with respect to Canada and the EU, he said, adding EU executive vice president and DG trade are coming to India.

On the TIMM, he said that the meeting assumes significance as there is a slowdown in the world and falling commodity prices.

"Focus would be on the G20 ministerial declaration and we are hopeful that all the Indian priorities... will be converted into definite outcomes," he added.

More than 300 delegates are reaching Jaipur for TIMM. G20 members will be represented by their ministers/secretaries/vice ministers.

The G20 members include Canada, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UK, the USA and the EU. Representatives from six invitee countries -- Bangladesh, Egypt, Netherlands, Oman, Singapore and UAE -- will also participate.

G20 accounts for 85 per cent of global GDP, 78 per cent of global trade, and almost two-thirds of the world's population. India is holding the presidency for this year.