WTO Ministerial Meet

From India's digital trade strategy and autonomous AI risks to youth employment, the rupee's stability and the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party, here are today's top Opinion pieces.

Many WTO members have opted to include a mechanism for resolving trade disputes in their bilateral or regional free trade agreements

A draft agriculture deal showed that a key reform sought by India on permitted government support levels for farmers was still not agreed, with two alternative solutions sitting side by side

India is a consensus builder in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by playing a key role in the process but some countries are breaking that, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday. He is here for the 13th ministerial conference (MC) of the WTO. The meeting started on February 26 to discuss issues such as agriculture and fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement and moratorium on customs duty levy on e-commerce trade. The minister's remarks came amid allegations by certain developed nations that India is blocking deals at the WTO. "Our stand is consistent... we have to see who are blocking the issues and who is responsible for not letting things of the WTO smoothly... It is proved that India in fact is a consensus builder and we are playing a key role in making consensus ...and certain countries are breaking that consensus on certain issues," Goyal told reporters here. He also said that India stands on strong principles of fair play, justice at the WTO and want

Says such matters should be addressed in intergovernmental organisations

The document emphasises the role of parliamentarians in ratifying bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that enhance and oversee the facilitation of global trade in all industries

WTO draft text proposes to 'agree, adopt' a binding framework until next meet

The current practice of not imposing Customs duties on electronic transmission will continue till the next ministerial conference (MC13) to be held towards the end of December 2023

WTO experience highlights India's less-than-coherent approach towards trade

Outcomes for India were mixed

The members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), for the first time in a decade, finalised a historic deal at 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12). Read more in our top headlines

The conference was initially scheduled to close on Wednesday and is now extended till June 16

WTO DG Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the more than 100 ministers present that time was running out and that they should "go the extra mile" to converge on the full range of issues

India strongly pitched to the WTO members for finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding of grains, stating that one cannot tread the path of trade on an empty stomach

WTO members sought to forge agreements on food security to ease strained supply and sharply higher prices that the war in Ukraine have worsened with only India, Egypt and Sri Lanka withholding support

India suggested the WTO to permit exports of food grains from public stocks for international food aid and for humanitarian purposes, especially on government-to-government basis

The government subsidy provided to fishermen helps the community do fishing activities to support their livelihood and prohibiting such measures will affect millions of fishers and their families

The WTO chief acknowledged that the global trade body needs reform, adding that the road will be bumpy and rocky and 'there may be a few landmines'

Piyush Goyal in his remarks at the WTO ministerial meet talked about the spiralling food inflation and the need for the agreement on food stockholding

Members of the fishing community from several coastal areas of India protested against the WTO proposal to curb fishery subsidies as it was not responsive to the demands of the developing nations