India's 8th Trade Policy Review at WTO in July

New Delhi: India's 8th Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) will take place in July 2026, which will involve a comprehensive peer-review of the country's national trade policies, an official statement said on Thursday.

An Indian delegation led by Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) and Customs (Member- Customs) Surjit Bhujabal showcased India's digital Customs reforms and Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) implementation ahead of India's Trade Policy Review in July 2026, the finance ministry said.

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India's 7th Trade Policy Review (TPR) took place in January 2021, at the Geneva-headquartered WTO.

CBIC and Permanent Mission of India had already organised Special Trade Facilitation Sessions at WTO on February 24.

The finance Ministry said the special trade facilitation sessions at WTO witnessed wide participation from WTO Members and Secretariat, with delegates from around 40 countries, reflecting strong interest in India's experience and best practices.

Having achieved compliance with WTO TFA commitments, India has moved towards "TFA Plus" measures under the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP 3.0), aiming to go beyond the minimum requirements and align with evolving global best practices, the ministry added.

During the session on trade facilitation, Indian Customs delegation highlighted 'whole-of-government approach' in Customs reforms, and pioneering efforts in creating a faceless, contactless and paperless Customs ecosystem through extensive digitalization and process re-engineering.

India has notified 100 per cent of its TFA commitments within the stipulated timelines. The progress reflects India's sustained commitment to enhancing transparency, improving inter-agency coordination, and simplifying cross-border trade procedures

Bhujabal said that India's digitisation and modernisation of customs procedures over the past decade have contributed meaningfully to trade growth, and deeper integration into global value chains.

Indian Customs digital ecosystem connects traders, customs authorities, banks and logistics operators, facilitates electronic processing of customs documentation, leading to reduced transaction costs and faster clearance times.