Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India reaffirmed its commitment to an open, transparent and WTO‑consistent multilateral trade regime at the country’s Eighth Trade Policy Review (TPR), which concluded at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
In his closing statement to the WTO Membership, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal highlighted India’s commitment to an open, transparent and predictable trade and investment regime. He underlined that India’s tariff reforms, customs simplification measures and ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) strategy have steadily strengthened the country’s integration with the global economy while supporting domestic development objectives.
Agarwal also emphasised that India remains a major engine of global demand, according to a Commerce Ministry statement.
The Trade Policy Review is a key transparency and monitoring mechanism of the WTO under which Members’ trade and related policies are periodically examined to enhance transparency, strengthen adherence to WTO rules and facilitate constructive dialogue among Members.
Responding to issues raised by Members, the Commerce Secretary reiterated that India’s trade policies are guided by WTO‑consistent principles while balancing the developmental needs of a large developing economy.
Agarwal emphasised that India’s agricultural tariff structure is designed to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of small, low‑income and resource‑poor farmers, ensuring fairness and equity, while industrial tariffs support supply chain resilience, diversification and domestic manufacturing capabilities in an evolving global economic environment, the statement said.
On sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical regulations and trade remedies, the Commerce Secretary reaffirmed India’s commitment to transparency, stakeholder consultations and adherence to WTO rules.
