Lok Sabha Question No. 807 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Issues Raised in WTO
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: HARI BABU KAMBHAMPATI, MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI), R. PARTHIPAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 807 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st  NOVEMBER, 2016

## ISSUES RAISED IN WTO

## 807.  DR. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU: SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI): SHRI R. PARTHIPAN:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाͨणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंğी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  negotiations  on  fishery  subsidies  discipline,  which  had  been  on  hold  since 2011 restarted just prior to the Nairobi Ministerial meeting in December, 2015;
- (b) if  so,  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  ongoing  schemes  for marginal fisher folk such as subsidies for fishing bodies at the World Trade Organisation (WT0);
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  making  efforts  to  find  a  permanent  solution  on  public stockholding  programmes  for  food  security  and safeguard mechanism  for  curbing unforeseen surges in import of farm products and if so, the steps taken in this regard;
- (d) whether the Government raised this issue in WTO recently and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the move to impose safeguard duties on aluminium and steel products has been opposed at WTO and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken to protect Indian interests?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) & (b) : Yes  Madam,  the  negotiations  on  fisheries  subsidies  resumed  in  2015  before  the Nairobi Ministerial meeting.   In the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations on  fisheries subsidies,  India  has been  seeking  effective special &  differential treatment for developing countries.
- (c) & (d) : Proposals  for  finding  a  permanent  solution  on  public  stockholding  for  food security purposes and an agricultural special safeguard mechanism  for developing countries are ongoing negotiations in the WTO.  India is working with  the  WTO  members, especially  the  G-33  group  of  developing  countries which  is  instrumental  in  advancing  negotiations  on  these  agricultural  issues. Apart from the meetings in the WTO, India has been emphasizing the need for

implementation of the Bali and Nairobi Ministerial Decisions on these issues on  priority,  in  other  meetings.    In  a  recent  informal  gathering  of  Trade Ministers  convened  by  Norway  in  Oslo  on  21-22  October  2016,  India underscored  the  need  for  prioritizing  work  on  the  Ministerial  Decisions  of special interest for developing countries.

- (e)          : In the WTO Committee meetings held recently, some of the member countries have raised questions about India's safeguard investigations concerning certain aluminium  and  steel  products,  India  has  been  defending  its  interests  by appropriate  interventions  justifying  its  action  under  the  WTO  safeguard mechanism.

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