World Trade Organization Wto

India should be leader of reform process at WTO: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

World Trade Organisation Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Friday said India should be a leader of the reform process at the WTO. She said that India's economy is growing at a healthy pace and it is a leader in areas such as technology. She said that there is a need to look at areas in the WTO which are not working and discuss ways to correct that. "How can we correct that and here India can be a leader, India should be a leader of the reform process at the WTO...we must correct all wrongs," Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said here at CII's partnership Summit 2025. Referring to high tariffs imposed by the US, she said the member nations should pay attention to the concerns flagged by America. India too has flagged concerns on issues like public stockholding, she said adding repeating past grievances will not help to build a strong global trading system. She appealed to all the members of the WTO to work together to strengthen the global trad

China moves WTO over India's EV, battery subsidies, cites 'unfair edge'

In a statement, China's Ministry of Commerce said it will take 'firm measures' to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its domestic industries

India urges WTO to act on non-tariff barriers, ensure dispute resolution

India has called for action to curb non-tariff barriers, address trade distortions caused by non-market economies, and restore a strong dispute settlement mechanism at the WTO, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday. The minister also pitched for strengthening the current consensus-based approach at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the special and differential treatment given to less developed countries and developing countries, and bringing back focus on issues that have already been finalised and mandated at previous ministerial meetings. "India made a strong pitch for addressing non-tariff barriers that certain countries use to deprive others of market access, take necessary action against non-market economies, ensure that we have a strong dispute settlement mechanism at the WTO so that finality can be brought and discipline can be maintained," Goyal told reporters here. The minister made these remarks in a meeting of about 25 ministers of WTO member ...

Global free trade is in 'crisis', says WTO chief during Japan visit

Global free trade is in crisis, the head of the World Trade Organisation chief said Tuesday while meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shigaru Ishiba on Tuesday. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, told Ishiba that she has high expectations for Japan as a champion of open markets as US President Donald Trump disrupts world commerce with his fast-changing tariffs and other policies. Trade is facing very challenging times right now and it is quite difficult, she said. We should try to use this crisis as an opportunity to solve the challenges we have and take advantage of new trends in trade. Japan, as a champion of the multilateral trading system must help maintain, strengthen and reform the WTO, the Japanese Foreign Ministry cited her as saying. They met a day after the United States and China said they had agreed to slash recent sky- high tariffs for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. Japan is among many countries yet to reach a deal with the Tr

Tariff war: WTO projects merchandise trade volume to contract in 2025

India's exports in value terms grew 2.6 per cent in 2024, while imports rose 6.6 per cent during the calendar year

DGTR initiates probe into 'steel flat product' imports amid concerns

India has initiated a probe into an alleged increase in imports of certain steel flat products into the country following a complaint from the Indian Steel Association, according to a government notification. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the commerce ministry, has started the investigation into imports of 'Non-Alloy and Alloy Steel Flat Products', used in various industries, including fabrication, pipe making, construction, capital goods, auto, tractors, bicycles, and electrical panels. According to the notification of the DGTR, the Indian Steel Association, on behalf of its members - ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, AMNS Khopoli, JSW Steel, JSW Steel Coated Products, Bhushan Power & Steel, Jindal Steel and Power, Steel Authority of India - has filed an application under the customs tariff Act, 1975. They have sought imposition of safeguard duty on imports of these products into India. The applicant has alleged that there is a "recent, sudden, sharp and

India seeks stronger WTO subsidy regulations for high seas fishing

India has pitched at the WTO for stricter regulations on subsidies granted by countries that are engaged in high seas fishing activities, an official said. Highlighting the stark disparity, an Indian document submitted at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has noted that it provides a modest USD 35 per fisher annually, compared to subsidies as high as USD 76,000 per fisher per year in some European nations. India also suggested that historical subsidisers should seek permission of the Committee on Fisheries Subsidies for grant of subsidies in future. The country has made these remarks in the meetings of the Negotiating Group on Rules (Fisheries subsidies), which are going on in Geneva. "India has pitched for strong disciplines for historical fisheries subsidisers which are engaged in distant water fishing (200 nautical miles from sea shore) and has asked for a moratorium on subsidies at the present level for 25 years," the official said. On these demands, India was supported by ..

India, Chinese Taipei ask WTO to delay ruling on ICT import duties dispute

India and Chinese Taipei have asked the WTO's dispute settlement body not to adopt any ruling against New Delhi's import duties on certain information and technology products till July 26 as both sides are engaged in resolving the matter, an official said. The issue came up during a meeting of the dispute settlement body (DSB) in Geneva on April 26. In the meeting, the two countries asked DSB to delay consideration of a dispute panel's reports until July 26, 2024 in order to help facilitate resolution of the disputes, the Geneva-based official said, adding that the body agreed to that. Earlier also, DSB had agreed to three previous requests from India and Chinese Taipei to delay consideration of the reports. As per rules of the WTO, the panel's ruling will have to be adopted by DSB for implementation within 60 days of the release of the order. However, countries can mutually request DSB for delay in adoption of the ruling. In its report, a dispute panel of WTO on April 17, 2023

Govt needs to be transparent, must avoid selective protectionism

One of the major pillars or principles of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was the abolition of quantitative restrictions

India challenges WTO panel ruling in favour of EU on ICT import duties

India has appealed against a ruling of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) trade dispute settlement panel in a case filed by the European Union against New Delhi's import duties on nine information and technology products. India's move came after both regions were not able to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution (MAS). "India and the EU have negotiated to arrive at a MAS for the past seven months, but the EU has now filed for adoption of panel report on December 7 and therefore, India has appealed against it on December 8 in the WTO," Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry Peeyush Kumar told reporters here. As part of the MAS, the EU was seeking customs duty concessions on certain goods, which was not acceptable to India as it violates WTO rules. These concessions can only be given in a free trade agreement, Kumar said. In September, the two regions had asked WTO's dispute settlement body not to adopt a ruling against New Delhi's import duties on certain ICT products li

India seeks 5 yr patent waiver for Covid diagnostics, therapeutics from WTO

India is among eight other developing nations pushing for a patent waiver that has already been authorised for the use of the Covid-19 vaccine

'Pandemic is still alive; need to extend TRIPS waiver to Covid diagnostics'

Four countries, including India and South Africa, have asked the WTO members to extend patent waiver to Covid-19 diagnostics and therapeutics as the pandemic is still alive and the risk of new variants remains real, an official said. These four member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) raised the demand in an informal meeting of TRIPS (Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Council in Geneva on Wednesday, the official said. In June last year, members of the WTO agreed to grant a temporary patent waiver for the manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccines for five years. It was also agreed to start talks on including therapeutics and diagnostics, as proposed by India and South Africa, under the purview of this waiver. The proponents of the proposal for extension argued that a decision on this was long overdue and should be taken at the General Council (GC) meeting of the WTO in December. This would also complement and support the work of the WHO (World Health ...

India faces queries from WTO on PMGKAY extension and rice export ban

Countries, including the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and New Zealand, are seeking clarity on the expiry dates of India's export restrictions and duties

India's interests at stake as world trade talks take a green turn

Country has raised objections to European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

WTO chief warns of 'big impact' on trade if Israel-Hamas conflict widens

"Everybody's on eggshells and hoping for the best," she said

At WTO, growing disregard for trade rules shows world is fragmenting

Those depositing cases include China, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, South Korea and the United States

US, EU criticise India's rice export ban, request immediate resumption

Representatives from Japan, Australia, Brazil, the EU, the UK, and the US raised concerns over the impact of the ban on the global food market

India rules out immediate impact of WTO panel ruling on IT tariffs

As per the available Dispute Settlement procedures, India is taking the necessary steps, and is also exploring options available in light of its WTO rights and obligations, the government said

India stands firm at WTO: Our food subsidies ensure global food security

Under the trade norms, a WTO member's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production

India's merchandise trade crosses the $1-trillion mark in 2022

Outbound shipments grew 13.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in 2022, while imports rose by 21 per cent, commerce and industry ministry's data showed