Dairy certificate rules face fresh heat from US at WTO

New Delhi: The US has again raised concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO) at India's dairy certificate requirements terming them "unnecessary trade barriers" for American exports.

India mandates an integrated veterinary health certificate for the import of milk and milk products, confirming that it does not contain drugs, antibiotics, pesticides or heavy metal residues.

Washington told the WTO that such measures should be based on science and be least trade-restrictive. It had raised the concern in April this year.


The US said India's new dairy certificate which came into force on November 2024, did not address its concerns.

"As a result, we remain concerned that India's certificate requirements present unnecessary trade barriers for US dairy exports to India's market," the US said.

The integrated certificate needs to be certified by the exporting country's authority for consignments being exported to India.

Washington added that such measures should be based on science and risk to achieve the appropriate level of public health protection.

The concerns come amid the two sides negotiating a trade deal and New Delhi stating firm on its red lines on not opening dairy and agriculture.

The issue could be taken up during India's eighth trade policy review at the WTO which is scheduled this year. The last review took place in 2021.