In a major development, India and the US have agreed to end six trade disputes at the WTO through mutually agreed solutions, while New Delhi will remove retaliatory customs duties on certain American products such as almonds, walnuts, and apples.
George Perkovich, vice president, studies, and director, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes that with the United States-India nuclear deal in limbo, the lack of convergence between Washington and New Delhi on Iran, climate change, the World Trade Organisation, and stagnation of defence cooperation, the US-India relationship has indeed been oversold.
India's chief trade negotiator Rahul Khullar yesterday warned that the much-planned ministerial meeting, which the World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy wants to convene soon, can succeed only if there was a revised Doha Rules text reflecting the concerns of all the members and an immediate resolution of TRIPS-CBD issue.
India will press for greater market access for developing countries in the services sector besides highlighting concerns in agriculture and industrial goods negotiations at the World Trade Organisation mini-ministerial on Saturday at Davos.
US President Barack Obama said, "You know, I think that if you look at history one of the most important things during a worldwide recession of the sort that we're seeing now is that each country does not resort to 'beggar thy neighbour' policies, protectionist policies, they can end up further contracting world trade."
Rich countries will use the Doha Round to shift the pain of the financial meltdown to developing countries.
The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India's Professional Education-I, Professional Education-II and Final examination will be held from November 1.
The contentious issue of market access, in World Trade Organisation negotiations, will figure prominently in the discussions between Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley and visiting European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy.
India's trade envoy, Ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia, issued a strong notice that if there is no third revised text which fully addresses the grave lacunae as well as developmental deficiencies in the latest draft, it would be difficult for members to enter into horizontal meetings that WTO chief Pascal Lamy wants to convene next month.
Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath met US trade representative Susan Schwab in New York on Thursday evening. He said the meeting led to 'much more convergence' between the two countries than last year on the feisty issues relating to the WTO negotiations. The minister arrived in New York to release his book 'India's Century' and to meet Schwab in yet another bid to achieve a breakthrough on the issue of agriculture subsidies that are at the core of WTO negotiations.
World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy has said that a final agreement in global trade talks is possible.
India may be represented by Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley at an informal conclave of key trade ministers convened by the United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in London this week to break the impasse in the WTO talks.
Sitharaman cancels Myanmar trip at last moment citing launch of Modi's Jan Dhan Yojana.
Success of the Ministerial meeting depends on the WTO members putting together the broad contours of a deal by August.
These include the Professional Education-I, Professional Education-II and Final examination.
World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy has endorsed India's stand in global trade talks but asked New Delhi to look at the 'bigger picture' and help break the impasse.
Six key World Trade Organisation members, including India, on Monday failed to reach an agreement on steps to liberalise trade in agriculture and manufactured goods.
The government of Switzerland will not be taking up the allegation by Novartis that Indian patent law is incompatible with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement at the dispute settlement board of the WTO.
Indian mangoes are all set to be shipped to the American market in the next few days after the United States decided to allow import of the delicious fruit.
"This round is development round and trade needs to be rebalanced in favour of developing countries," World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy said.
The United States on Wednesday filed a case against China with the World Trade Organisation, alleging that the Asian powerhouse was illegally subsidising the production of wind power equipment.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday proposed collaboration between India and China in global fora like World Trade Organisation and G-20 and in the financial sector, as top planners of the two countries had a "productive" round of talks at the first Strategic Economic Dialogue in Beijing.
