World Trade

Reshaping the debate: Is capitalism the cause of global inequality?

Western observers rarely pay more than lip service to the roughly 85 per cent of the world's population living in the Global South

Red Sea crisis is increasing the distance and time of global sea transport

These longer routes are detrimental to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions as ships are re-routing thousands of miles around Africa's Horn to avoid the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Some WTO nations question India's $48 billion farm input subsidies

Some WTO members, including the US and the UK, have raised questions on India's USD 48 billion farm input subsidies for 2022-23, which according to New Delhi has increased due to inflation and rising costs of fertilisers, an official said. The issue was flagged by these members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) during a meeting of the committee on agriculture on May 23-24. "India explained that the input subsidies are mainly for power, irrigation, and fertilizers and that the increase was due to inflation and rising costs of fertilizers. It insisted that the information had been duly notified to the WTO," the Geneva-based official said. The 166-member WTO is a global trade body. It also adjudicates trade disputes between the member countries. India has notified these numbers to the WTO in April. Under WTO rules of special and differential treatment, developing member countries are allowed to provide these subsidies to low-income or resource-poor farmers. "India's new notificat

Trade challenges in 2023: India relatively steady amid global slowdown

In India, the export and import figures have been trending downwards mainly due to fall in commodity prices and freight rates compared to the previous year

India-Middle East corridor to be basis of world trade: PM in Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that the India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become a basis of world trade for the coming centuries and history will remember that it was envisioned in India. In his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi recalled the "Silk route", an ancient trade corridor used by India when it was a prosperous and great trading power, and said the country suggested the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor at the recent G20 Summit. The successful summit after the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission doubled every citizen's happiness, he said while noting that the two accomplishments have figured most in the messages he has received from people. India's leadership was acknowledged by the world as it succeeded in making the African Union a member of the G20, he said. Bharat Mandapam, the venue which hosted the G20 Summit, has become a "celebrity", the prime minister said, noting that people have been clicking selfies with the state-of-the-ar

WTO in survival mode pushes back on splintering the global trade

The WTO estimates that the cost of splitting the world trade system into separate blocs would be about 5 per cent of real income at the global level

US seeks enterprise-based probe into errant firms under IPEF deal

The US has also proposed possible business-academia tie-ups to increase the availability of skilled workers and consultations with business and worker associations to develop policies

World trade data shows early signs of 'reglobalisation' across countries

The transformation that some are calling "reglobalization" will take years, and trade data is only beginning to offer clues about the scope of the changes, and who's winning and losing

Work in progress

Foreign trade policy must engage with realities of world trade

Amid poor world demand, India has opportunities in developing countries

It must push exports of 18 items to developing nations, says report

WTO warns 'darkened' trade outlook could deteriorate further in 2023

The World Trade Organisation is predicting global trade volumes will grow a lackluster 1% next year as crises and challenges weigh on markets, including high energy prices, rising interest rates and uncertainties about Chinese manufacturing output amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. The Geneva-based trade body said Wednesday that the amount of goods shipped between countries are expected to rise 3.5% this year, up from the 3% that WTO anticipated in its first forecast for the year in April. In 2023, the prediction is for such trade volumes to grow just 1%, down from the 3.4% expected previously. The risks are certainly to the downside next year, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters at its headquarters. This year, the higher predicted increase in trade volumes stems from better data that arrived in the middle of the year, contributing to a clearer forecast, and a boom in trade volumes from oil- and gas-producing countries in the Middle East as supplies from Russ

India pitching permanent solution to food stockholding at WTO meet

India will make a pitch for finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security in the WTO meet in Geneva starting June 12, an official said. Besides, issues including agri subsidies and World Food Programme will be on the agenda of the 12th ministerial conference, the highest decision making body of the 164-member World Trade Organization (WTO), the official said. For the meeting, the Indian team will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. "Finding permanent solution to public stockholding will be our key demand," the official added. Under global trade norms, a WTO member country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. As part of permanent solution, India has asked for things like amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap and inclusion of programmes implemented after 2013 under the ambit of 'Peace Clause'. As an interim measu

Globalisation, old and new: What changing world order means for India

Globalisation is morphing as new agendas come into focus. These now drive action on climate change, taxation of global companies, tackling terrorism, sharing vaccines and the like, writes T N Ninan

Traffic congestion eases further in Suez Canal after ship unblocked

The traffic congestion caused by a cargo ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week continued to ease on Friday

RCEP signatories ready for talks once India gives written request to join

Countries that have signed the RCEP agreement can start negotiations with India for joining the pact once New Delhi submits a written request stating its intention for the same

WTO reforms have to factor in interests of all, says Suresh Prabhu

"WTO's reforms have to take into account the interests of all members. It has to come out with a forward-looking agenda in an inclusive manner," Prabhu said

Decline in global merchandise trade volumes to continue for now: WTO

Situation to worsen as estimates don't take into account coronavirus outbreak

US, Japan and European Union seek stronger global rules on subsidies

The governments called on the World Trade Organization to beef up existing regulations, which they said in a statement are "insufficient to tackle market and trade distorting subsidisation

25 years on, WTO on its shakiest ground as confidence of members plummets

As confidence of member nations plummets, reforming the global body itself forms the core agenda for many countries

Not just economic taboos, Trump's moves are also shattering US' credibility

Part of the concern is that Trump's actions will give other governments cover to do the things that America has spent decades telling them not to do