DGFT



India faces flak at WTO over import curbs

Taiwan said the curbs in place for almost two years have affected its exports to India, resulting in a "sharp decrease of exports in 2020 and 2021 compared with the same period in 2019."

India's decision to curb inbound shipments of certain types of tyres and ban the import of air-conditioners with refrigerants has once again come under fire at the World Trade Organization (WTO), with various countries calling these measures restrictive and discriminatory.

Almost two years after India imposed these measures, the EU said that only a limited number of licences have been granted to the economic bloc's tyre manufacturers. At a WTO meeting this week, Taiwan said that the measure is "restrictive and discriminatory." In the same meeting, Japan criticised India's move in 2020 to ban the import of ACs with refrigerants, and termed it "superfluous."

Taiwan said the curbs in place for almost two years have affected its exports to India, resulting in a "sharp decrease of exports in 2020 and 2021 compared with the same period in 2019."

It also said India appears to issue import licences only for those tyres not produced domestically, and asked how such a measure would be compatible with WTO rules concerning quantitative restrictions. "Taiwan urged India to ensure that applications are properly granted particularly the non-automatic licences, and should not be trade restrictive and have a distortive effect on trade," said a Geneva-based official aware of the meeting's details.

Team Edu-visor