Ø Stakeholders Deliberate on Emerging
Environment-Related Trade Measures and Their Impact on India's Export
Competitiveness
·
The Department of Commerce
organized a two-day National Chintan Shivir in New Delhi on
environment-related non-tariff measures (NTMs) and their impact on FTAs.
·
The
event is jointly hosted with the Centre
for WTO Studies and Indian
Institute of Foreign Trade.
·
Participants
include government officials, trade experts, WTO practitioners, industry
representatives, and trade negotiators.
·
The
workshop focuses on the growing use of environmental and climate-related trade
measures worldwide.
·
Objective:
assess their impact on Indian exports and develop strategies through WTO rules
and FTAs.
·
Key
discussion areas:
o Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
o Sustainability-related NTMs
o Carbon-related trade measures
o Deforestation-related regulations
o Industry and stakeholder concerns
o Multilateral and bilateral trade solutions
·
The
workshop aims to protect India's market access, boost export competitiveness,
and promote sustainable trade.
·
Ujjwal
Kumar Ghosh emphasized strengthening India's preparedness for evolving global
sustainability regulations.
·
Notable
experts include Erik Wijkström, Anwar Shaik, Anil Jauhri, Atul Sharma, and
Pranav Kumar.
·
The
Chintan Shivir concludes on 23 June 2026 with a
valedictory session.
[ABS News Service/23.06.2026]
The Department of Commerce,
Government of India, in collaboraation with the
Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) and the Centre for Research in International Trade
(CRIT), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), inaugurated a two-day
National Workshop/Chintan Shivir on
“Environment-Related Non-Tariff Measures: WTO Rules and Their Implications for
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)” at Nalanda Hall, IIFT Bhawan, New Delhi.
The workshop brings together senior
government officials, trade experts, WTO practitioners, industry
representatives, and stakeholders associated with multilateral and bilateral
trade negotiations to deliberate on the emerging challenges posed by environment-related
non-tariff measures (NTMs) and their implications for India's trade and export
competitiveness.
The workshop aims to enhance
understanding of the increasing number of environmental and climate-related
trade measures being adopted globally, assess their potential impact on Indian
exports, and formulate strategic responses through the WTO framework and
India's Free Trade Agreements. The deliberations are expected to contribute to
India's efforts to safeguard market access, strengthen export competitiveness,
and promote sustainable trade practices.
The deliberations will cover key
themes such as WTO rules governing Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT),
sustainability-related non-tariff measures, carbon- and deforestation-related
trade measures, stakeholder and industry perspectives, and strategies for
addressing emerging trade concerns through multilateral and bilateral
mechanisms. The workshop will conclude on 23 June 2026 with a valedictory
session.
The inaugural session commenced with
opening remarks by Head, Centre for WTO Studies (CWS), Dr. Pritam Banerjee.
Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ms. Richa Prakash Choudhary, welcomed
the participants and outlined the objectives of the workshop. Joint Secretary,
Department of Commerce, Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, delivered the Special Address,
underscoring the importance of strengthening India's preparedness to address
sustainability-linked trade measures and evolving global regulatory frameworks.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Professor and Head of
Administration, CRIT-IIFT, Dr. Murali Kallummal.
The workshop features distinguished
experts, including Head, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Section, Trade and
Environment Division, WTO, Geneva, Erik Wijkström; Former Chair, WTO TBT
Committee, Anwar Shaik; Former Chief Executive Officer, National Accreditation
Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and Member, UNFCCC CDM Accreditation
Panel, Anil Jauhri; Co-Founder and Advocate, Sarvada Legal, Atul Sharma; trade
policy expert, Pranav Kumar; as well as senior officials from the Department of
Commerce and the Centre for WTO Studies.