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India’s Trade Disputes: Implications for Public Policy

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WTO Dispute Settlement at Twenty

Abstract

The chapter examines how India proactively participated in WTO dispute settlement by discussing some of the landmark disputes involving India. The discussion highlights how India’s participation in the early years was influenced by its concern to protect small and vulnerable sectors of the economy and, more so, to preserve the status quo. This chapter also discusses how India’s WTO litigation strategies evolved over a period, especially since 2010, in using offensive and defensive strategies in WTO dispute settlement to leverage its economic potential and create policy space for it development needs and strategies. This transformation has emboldened India to pursue a development pathway which is not necessarily shaped and driven by its international commitments.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The United States has filed 108 complaints and the European Union has filed 95 complaints whereas India has filed 21, China 13, Brazil 27, Argentina 20, and Mexico 23 complaints as of 30 November 2015. See, WTO, Disputes by country/territory https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_by_country_e.htm.

  2. 2.

    Ibid.

  3. 3.

    WTO (2010) European Union and a Member State—Seizure of Generic Drugs in Transit: Request for Consultations, WT/DS408/1.

  4. 4.

    WTO (2002) United States—Countervailing Measures on Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India: Request for Consultations, WT/DS436/1.

  5. 5.

    WTO (2012) Turkey—Safeguard Measures on Imports of Cotton Yarn: Request for Consultations, WT/DS428/1.

  6. 6.

    Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, in the results of the uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, the legal texts (1994).

  7. 7.

    WTO (2002) United States—Countervailing Measures on Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India: Request for Consultations, WT/DS436/1.

  8. 8.

    Appellate Body Report on India—Patent Protection for Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Chemical Products, WT/DS50/AB/R.

  9. 9.

    Appellate Body Report on India—Quantitative Restrictions on Imports of Agricultural, Textile and Industrial Products, WT/DS90/AB/R (Hereinafter India—Quantitative Restrictions).

  10. 10.

    WTO (1998) India—Quantitative Restrictions on Imports of Agricultural, Textile and Industrial Products:Request for Consultations WT/DS96/8.

  11. 11.

    See for example, imports of certain goods such as cashew kernel (HS 08013210 and 08013230), areca nuts (HS 0802 80) and marbles (HS 215151100 and 25151210—from 20 November 2014) are subject to import restrictions depending on their import price. These imports are restricted when a c.i.f. price is lower than the minimum import price: WTO (2015) Trade Policy Review of India: Report by the Secretariat, WT/TPR/S/313, at 3.49.

  12. 12.

    WTO (2002) India—Measures Affecting the Automotive Sector: Communication from India, WT/DS146/14; WT/DS175/14.

  13. 13.

    WTO (2007) India—Additional and Extra-Additional Duties on Imports from the United States: Request for Consultations, WT/DS360/1.

  14. 14.

    Appellate Body Report on India—Measures Concerning the Importation of Certain Agricultural Products, WT/DS430/AB/R.

  15. 15.

    The Ontario FIT Programme found as inconsistent with the national treatment obligations of Article III:4 of the GATT 1994 and Article 2.1 of the TRIMs Agreement. See WTO, Appellate Body Reports on Canada—Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector/Canada—Measures Relating to the Feed-in Tariff Programme, WT/DS412/AB/R and WT/DS/426/R.

  16. 16.

    The Economist, Green energy: Still short of puff. http://www.economist.com/news/business/21597920-europes-wind-turbine-makers-are-pleading-more-political-support-still-short-puff. Accessed on 5 Dec 2015.

  17. 17.

    The Solar Mission is implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MNRE), while the antidumping actions are initiated by the Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), a part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, See DGAD, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Notification, 14/5/2012-DGAD, 22 May 2014, http://commerce.nic.in/writereaddata/traderemedies/adfin_Solar_Cells_Malaysia_ChinaPR_Chinese_Taipei_USA.pdf. Accessed on 5 Dec 2015.

  18. 18.

    Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, in the results of the uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, the legal texts (1994).

  19. 19.

    WTO (2010) European Union and a Member State—Seizure of Generic Drugs in Transit: Request for Consultations by India, WT/DS408/1.

  20. 20.

    WTO (2012) United States—Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India, WT/DS436/1.

  21. 21.

    Council Regulation (EC) 1383/2003 of 22 July 2003 concerning customs action against goods suspected of infringing certain intellectual property rights and the measures to be taken against goods found to have infringed such rights.

References

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  • Appellate Body Report on India—Patent Protection for Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Chemical Products, WT/DS50/AB/R.

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  • WTO (2002) India—Measures Affecting the Automotive Sector: Communication from India, WT/DS146/14; WT/DS175/14.

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  • WTO (2012) United States—Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India: Requests for Consultations, WT/DS436/1.

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  • WTO (2015) Trade Policy Review of India: Report by the Secretariat, WT/TPR/S/313.

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  • WTO, Disputes by country/territory https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_by_country_e.htm. Accessed on 5 Dec 2015.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Former Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, New Delhi, India

    Rajeev Kher

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  1. Rajeev Kher
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Correspondence to Rajeev Kher .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi, India

    Abhijit Das

  2. Jindal Global Law School, O.P Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana, India

    James J. Nedumpara

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© 2016 Centre for WTO Studies (CWS), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi

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Rajeev Kher (2016). India’s Trade Disputes: Implications for Public Policy. In: Das, A., Nedumpara, J. (eds) WTO Dispute Settlement at Twenty. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0599-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0599-2_2

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