Commerce Secretary says No to Trade Facilitation without Food Security

In some media reports, the Commerce Secretary of India has been completely misquoted as saying that “the government would not block the world’s first global trade deal over lack of progress on food subsidy talks and further that progress on food stockpiling is not a condition for signing the protocol.”

The relevant portion of the statement recently made by India in the WTO is reproduced below to reflect the correct position:

“Till we have an assurance and visible outcomes which convince developing countries that Members will engage in negotiations with commitment to find a permanent solution on public stock holding and all other Bali deliverables, especially those for the LDCs, India will find it difficult to join the consensus on the Protocol of Amendment.”

In the statement that India gave in PCTF meeting of WTO in Geneva on July 2, 2014, it was clearly stated that India has always engaged constructively and actively on Trade Facilitation and we are working on our commitments, however, India is deeply disappointed and concerned at the completely uneven progress in the other areas of work mandated by Ministers’ in Bali, Mr. Kher clarified. It was also reiterated by the Commerce Secretary that there should be more clarity on this issue and Members’ concerns satisfactorily addressed including on Public Stockholding.

It seems that by attributing ‘wrong statement’, to India an effort is being made to divide developing countries who have taken a clear stand on the issue.