Page 3 - World Trade Organization

WTO meet: India to seek permanent solution to food security issues

India will strongly oppose a China-led proposal for an investment facilitation pact besides pressing for finding a permanent solution to public stock holding of grains for food security and protection of the interests of fishermen at the WTO ministerial meeting beginning Tuesday. The Indian delegation is led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The four-day 13th ministerial conference (MC13) will start on February 26 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Trade ministers of 164 member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are meeting against the backdrop of the uncertain global economic situation due to the Red Sea crisis, the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Hamas conflict. The key issue of India's interests at the meeting relates to finding a permanent solution for its minimum support price (MSP) issue for food security, agricultural reforms, fisheries subsidies, e-commerce moratorium on import duties, dispute settlement, and WTO reforms. *Food securi

China-led proposal on investment facilitation has systemic concerns for WTO

The attempt of a group of countries led by China to integrate a proposal on investment facilitation into the World Trade Organisation has systemic concerns for the WTO and it would impact developing nations in pursuing their interest in future, experts say. They said that the proposal talks about facilitating investments in the WTO member countries, but there is mixed evidence that such agreements help attract investors. The concerns of the experts on the issue assumes significance as a China-led group of 130 countries are pushing to get an approval on their Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) proposal in the WTO's 13th ministerial conference (MC) this month. The four-day meeting of trade ministers of 164-member global trade rule making body WTO begins on February 26 at Abu Dhabi, UAE. MC is the highest decision making body of the WTO. The experts also said that this is a proposal of a group of countries, which is called a plurilateral agreement or joint statement ...

Rethink trade

India's attitude to WTO negotiations needs more clarity

Streaming a movie abroad may soon come with taxes at border; WTO to decide

The tariff ban has helped fuel the fastest-growing segment of world trade: digital goods and services. They're key to the success not just of tech companies like Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc.

India opposes China-led investment facilitation proposal at WTO

This is because investment, as a subject, falls outside the mandate of the WTO. Besides, India is fundamentally against plurilateral pacts on multilateral platforms such as the WTO

WTO meet: India to bargain for 'poor fishermen' in developing countries

The discussion comes against the backdrop of the global trade body trying to build a consensus on an agreement that aims to curb subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing

India's negotiating imperatives

Even as the global power equations are in a state of flux, India's basic circumstances have to change for it to play a lead role in negotiations

Rodtep reimbursements: Govt likely to guide industry on documentation

The RoDTEP scheme allows refunds of the embedded non-creditable central, state and local levies paid on inputs to exporters and is compliant with World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms

India for fast tracking talks to find food stockholding solution at WTO

India has asked WTO members to fast-track talks on finding a permanent solution on the public stockholding for food security issue at the ministerial-level meeting of the WTO in February, but some countries differ on this, an official said. The issue was discussed at a WTO (World Trade Organisation) agriculture negotiations meeting held on January 16. In the meeting, the US stated that "given members' deeply divergent views", a permanent solution for public stockholding for food security purposes by the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC) is "not possible", the Geneva-based official said. The MC is the highest decision-making body of the Geneva-based global trade watchdog WTO. The 13th MC meeting is scheduled for next month in Abu Dhabi. In its presentation, India stated that the public stock-holding (PSH) has to be dealt with separately on a "fast track mode and emphasized that it has to be delivered at MC13", the official added. According to the officials, the US has stated that ..

Global trade policy: A year-end stocktaking

Even as East Asian regionalism gives some hope, 2023 ends with growing apprehensions

Trade measures of G20 nations become more restrictive in recent months: WTO

Trade measures introduced by G20 member countries have become more restrictive in recent months, according to a report from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). According to the 30th WTO Trade Monitoring Report on G20 trade measures, between mid-May and mid-October 2023, the countries have introduced more trade-restrictive than trade-facilitating measures on goods. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has called on the G20 to show leadership and contribute to economic stability and growth by unwinding recent and longstanding restrictions on trade. G20 members include India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the US, among others. "Trade measures introduced by G20 economies have become more restrictive in recent months," the WTO said.

EU disappointed over India's 'right' to approach WTO's body in ICT case

The European Union (EU) has expressed disappointment over India's move to approach the WTO's appellate body in a case related to customs duties on certain information and communications technology (ICT) products, an official said. On December 8, India 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 certain ICT products including mobile phones and components, base stations, integrated circuits and optical instruments. India has stated that it is the right of countries to appeal, and called for early restoration of the non-functional appellate body of WTO so that the panel's errors can be corrected and the dispute can be resolved expeditiously. New Delhi has also rejected the EU's request to settle the dispute through arbitration. On this request, India has said that such interim arbitration agreements undermine the right of countries to appeal to a permanent .

India should actively raise disputes against WTO incompatible schemes: GTRI

With most of the developed regions like the US and EU have turned protectionist and are taking WTO incompatible measures, India should actively raise trade disputes to counter their steps, think tank GTRI said on Monday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said for raising disputes, the government would require a professional setup akin to the US Trade Representative and a robust panel of experts as the current set up lacks depth. In June, the US and India agreed to drop six WTO (World Trade Organisation) disputes, encompassing three cases initiated by each. This was possible because India filed several cases against the US, it added. "Most nations, including the US and EU have turned protectionist and implement many WTO incompatible schemes. India need to actively raise disputes against them to counter or later bargain," it said. GTRI Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said that as the trade protection measures are on the rise in both the EU and the US, "we expect such cases to .

India challenges WTO panel ruling on ICT import duties at appellate body

According to WTO rules, a WTO member or members can file a case in the Geneva-based multilateral body if they feel that a particular trade measure is against the norms of WTO

China pressures Taiwan with trade accusations, warplanes ahead of elections

China in October said it was extending its trade barrier investigation to Jan. 12, the eve of Taiwan's elections. Taiwan denounced that at the time as election interference

India seeks to resolve WTO import duty dispute with EU on ICT goods

India seeks to resolve a WTO import duty dispute with the European Union on certain information and technology products through the proposed free trade agreement, which is under active negotiations, an official said. Following a ruling of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) dispute panel on April 17 that import duties imposed by India on certain information and technology (ICT) products such as mobile phones and components, base stations, integrated circuits and optical instruments violate global trading norms, India and the European Union (EU) are discussing ways to resolve the matter amicably outside the ambit of the WTO. As part of the discussion, the EU has sought duty concessions from India on these goods as it was violative of the global trade norms, but India has stated that it would be again a breach of WTO rules, if the concessions be extended only to the EU, the official said. They are seeking duty concessions, which according to India can be discussed only under the free

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

Public procurement for Make in India

Strategic use of government purchases is the need of the hour if India is to achieve manufacturing success

'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 ...

No new issue agri issue in WTO till solution on public stockholding: India

India has told a WTO grouping with a major interest in farm trade that it will not discuss any new issue in the agriculture segment like imposition of export restrictions before a permanent solution is found with regard to public stockholding of food grains, an official said. This position was cleared during a mini-ministerial virtual meeting of about 28 WTO (World Trade Organisation) member countries on agriculture issues on November 28. In the meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal put forward New Delhi's approach to the issue saying that public procurement and stockholding of food grains serve the twin objectives of food security and income support to marginal farmers. The 19-member Cairns group, which includes agri-exporting nations, lobbies for agricultural trade liberalisation. It was formed in 1986 in Cairns, Australia. Its members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, ..