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It's 'sad' some countries still obstructing outcomes at WTO: Piyush Goyal

The WTO ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi this week is seeking deals on ending fishing subsidies and extending a moratorium on digital trade tariffs - a move that India and South Africa oppose

WTO MC13: India for review of Customs duty pause on digital goods

India demands end to customs duties moratorium on e-commerce, says it impacts developing countries

India pushes for restoration of WTO appellate body as 'top-most priority'

India also called for effective formalisation of the ongoing informal dispute settlement reform discussions among some member nations at the WTO, at the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi

India, South Africa block investment agreement at WTO's Abu Dhabi meet

"It's hard to tell if we are going to land something or if we are sleepwalking into failure," said one trade delegate

India-UK FTA: Goyal, Badenoch meet to decide future course of action

The ministers are expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization's four-day summit - the 13th Ministerial Conference -- in Abu Dhabi

WTO: Fisheries subsidies are vital for developing countries, says India

With about 9 million people dependent on the sector, India constitutes 25 per cent of the world's fishermen

WTO: India argues to finalise permanent solution to public stockholding

At the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Abu Dhabi, 164 member nations are participating in negotiations on agriculture

WTO adopts new plurilateral agreement on domestic services regulation

The services domestic regulation agreement entered into force at the 13th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi

WTO should not negotiate rules on non-trade issues, says Piyush Goyal

Says such matters should be addressed in intergovernmental organisations

Govt expresses concerns in WTO meet over unilateral protectionist measures

India on Monday expressed "serious" concerns in a WTO meeting in Abu Dhabi over increase in the use of trade protectionist measures by certain countries in the name of environment protection. The remarks assume significance as the country has earlier flagged issues over the European Union's (EU) decision to impose carbon tax (a kind of import tax) on sectors such as steel and fertiliser; and adoption of deforestation regulation by the 27-nation bloc. Speaking at a session on sustainable development and policy space for industrialisation, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said developing countries require flexibility in the existing WTO (World Trade Organization) agreements to overcome the constraints faced by them in their industrialisation. He also expressed concerns on the concerted attempt by the developed countries to club long-standing development issues like policy space for industrial development with new issues of 'Trade and Industrial policy'. The CBAM (Carbon Border ...

Govt seeks solution to long-pending food stockpile issue at WTO meet

India on Monday called on WTO members to find a permanent solution to the long-pending public food stockpile issue, saying it is directly related to achieving the sustainable development goal of zero hunger by 2030. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should not negotiate rules on non-trade-related subjects like climate change, gender, and labour and rather these should be addressed in respective intergovernmental organizations. "I re-emphasize that the development agenda would remain incomplete without a permanent solution on public stockholding (PSH) for food security purposes which is directly related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030, Goyal said. This continues to be a long-pending issue for the last few decades and despite having a clear mandate agreed by the members in the past, finding a permanent solution on PSH remains an unaccomplished agenda on which we have to deliver in MC13. Trade

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 ...

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.

WTO meet: Govt to oppose continuation of moratorium on e-comm trade duties

India is not in favour of further continuation of moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce trade at the WTO's meeting in Abu Dhabi later this month as it is impacting the developing countries, an official said on Tuesday. The official said that there is a work programme on e-commerce trade and the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should continue to discuss the issue under that. "We are not in favour of extension. We are in favour of continuation of the work programme. There is a need to look at the subject from a development dimension and not from the eyes of big tech companies," the official said. There is a need to discuss the scope of moratorium as there are revenue implications because of it. As per estimates, the potential tariff revenue losses to the developing countries are about USD 10 billion every year. For India, it could be over USD 500 million every year. "There is a need for a clear definition of e-commerce trade. We need policy space for the sector,"

Govt will seek an end to WTO's 1998 tariff freeze on trade of digital goods

The WTO has had a moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions since 1998, and members have extended the rule every two years

WTO MC13: India to oppose any negotiation mandate on non-trade issues

The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC) will be held from February 26-29 at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

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

Consensus on food security solution at WTO meet next month difficult: GTRI

Reaching an agreement on food stockpile issue at the WTO meet next month is difficult as both developed and developing countries have diverse views on the matter, economic think tank GTRI said on Tuesday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that developed countries like the US argue that India's programme could distort trade. The issue will figure in the 13th ministerial conference (MC 13) at Abu Dhabi from February 26-29. MC is the highest decision making body of the 164-member Geneva-based global trade body WTO. "MC13 might not resolve the issue, showing the conflict between developing countries wanting to protect food security and developed countries pushing for free trade," the GTRI said in its report. India's top priorities for the MC13 include securing a permanent solution for its public stockholding (PSH) programme. This programme seeks flexibility in food procurement and pricing, crucial for India's food security needs. The PSH programme is a policy tool unde

India to push for public stockholding of food grains at WTO MC13

The official said that developed countries have demanded discussion on export restrictions-on items such as wheat-imposed by India

India reiterates need for early resumption of negotiations in West Asia

Voicing "deepest concern" at the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, India on Wednesday reiterated the need for an early resumption of direct and meaningful negotiations and said every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for resumption of these talks. "India has called for restraint, de-escalation and emphasised peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said while speaking at the 19th NAM Summit-Ministerial Meeting in the Ugandan capital. Noting that India has condemned the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and called for immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, he said the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza "must be addressed." "Let me also express my deepest concern at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We have condemned the loss of civilian lives, most of them women and children, in the Israel-Hamas conflict," he said. "We have called for time