WTO meet in June: India may not favour relief to food purchase under WFP

Government officials said India may not agree with the proposal as it will restrict its policy space to deal with domestic food security concerns

India is unlikely to back exemptions from export restrictions to food purchased for humanitarian purposes by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) at a key World Trade Organisation meeting next month.

A group of 80 nations, including 80 developed countries such as Japan, the United States, the European Union and Singapore, do not want export restrictions on food purchased for non-commercial purposes by WFP. They are also seeking an outcome on the issue of putting out an advance notification of export restrictive measures at the WTO.

Government officials said India may not agree with the proposal as it will restrict its policy