India feels let down by new WTO proposals for Doha trade deal
The World Trade Organisation on Tuesday released new negotiating texts on agriculture and industrial products, but India feels let down by not getting enough policy space to protect its farmers and nascent industries in the draft proposals for a D...
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The World Trade Organisation on Tuesday released new negotiating texts on agriculture and industrial products, but India feels let down by not getting enough policy space to protect its farmers and nascent industries in the draft proposals for a Doha trade deal.
The revised text, released by the negotiating group on agriculture, proposes less number of products which India and other developing countries can protect from unrestricted imports from the agro exporting countries like the US, Canada and Australia.
Likewise, India's plea for greater flexibility for protecting its industries, including small and medium units, has not found much favour in the draft proposals for duty cuts on manufactured goods, official sources told reporters.
"The American pressure seems to have played a role on the revised proposals," an official said.
Pressure seems to be mounting on bigger developing countries, like India, China, Brazil and South Africa to "yield their market" while the developed countries do not appear prepared for sacrifice, he said.
The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001, for a market opening multilateral trade agreement have remained inconclusive amid differences between developed and developing countries. The talks were mandated to be concluded by end of 2004.
The revised text, released by the negotiating group on agriculture, proposes less number of products which India and other developing countries can protect from unrestricted imports from the agro exporting countries like the US, Canada and Australia.
Likewise, India's plea for greater flexibility for protecting its industries, including small and medium units, has not found much favour in the draft proposals for duty cuts on manufactured goods, official sources told reporters.
"The American pressure seems to have played a role on the revised proposals," an official said.
Pressure seems to be mounting on bigger developing countries, like India, China, Brazil and South Africa to "yield their market" while the developed countries do not appear prepared for sacrifice, he said.
The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001, for a market opening multilateral trade agreement have remained inconclusive amid differences between developed and developing countries. The talks were mandated to be concluded by end of 2004.
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