Govt to retain exports scheme till March after WTO asked for its scrapping

A scheme to promote exports will be extended till March 31 this year though the government had decided to discontinue it under pressure from the World Trade Organization (WTO), a business association has said.

The government has not officially announced extending the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) but it will stay till the new Foreign Trade Policy begins on April 1, said the Federation of Indian Export Organisations on Thursday.

The government had decided to discontinue MEIS--its largest export promotion scheme--after the WTO said it distorted trade by providing direct subsidies. The organization, in November 2019, ruled against India in its