Lok Sabha Question No. 232 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-16
Subject: Non-Tariff Measures to Support Indian Exporters
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *232 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025

## NON-TARIFF MEASURES TO SUPPORT INDIAN EXPORTERS

*232 SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR

Will  the  Minister  of COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has initiated a comprehensive mapping of mandatory and voluntary Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) across global markets to support Indian exporters, if so, the scope and time taken by the Government for this exercise;
- (b) the mechanisms that have been put in place to collect inputs from exporters, commodity boards and industry bodies and the manner in which these will be prioritized to ensure effective export support;
- (c) whether the Government has identified NTMs that act as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) raising costs or compliance burdens for Indian exporters and the steps taken to address them;
- (d) the manner  in  which the  Government  plans  to assist exporters  in  meeting technical standards, certifications and testing requirements abroad to improve product quality and competitiveness; and
- (e) whether any special measures are envisaged for sectors or countries where stringent NTMs have caused shipment delays, if so, the details thereof.

## ANSWER

वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्री (श्री पीयूष गोयल) THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  232  FOR  16.12.2025  REGARDING  'NON-TARIFF MEASURES TO SUPPORT INDIAN EXPORTERS'

(a)  &  (b)  Monitoring  of  Non-Tariff  Measures  (NTMs)  is  a  dynamic  and  continuous process.  It  is  being  undertaken  particularly  for  those  relating  to  Sanitary  and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), to identify and address measures that may act as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) affecting Indian exports.

Regular  consultations  are  held  with  line  Ministries,  Commodity  Boards,  Export Promotion  Councils,  and  other  stakeholders  to  monitor  and  address  Non-Tariff Measures. Notifications by member countries to the World Trade Organization (WTO) are regularly tracked and shared with stakeholders. India actively participates in WTO SPS  and  TBT  Committee  meetings  where  Specific  Trade  Concerns  (STCs)  are reviewed.  It  also  engages  through  bilateral  mechanisms  such  as  Joint  Working Groups, technical consultations, and ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, reaffirming the Government's commitment to protecting the interests of Indian exporters.

(c)  to  (e)  The  Government  adopts  a  multi-pronged  strategy  to  assist  exporters  in complying  with  international  NTMs  and  enhance  export  competitiveness  through technical  collaborations,  institutional  capacity  building,  and  various  scheme-based support measures.

To address information asymmetry and ensure timely access to updated details on technical and certification requirements in foreign markets, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has launched the Trade Connect e-Platform (https://trade.gov.in) . The platform serves as a digital interface for exporters, including MSMEs,  by  providing  information  on  trade  agreements,  country-specific  market access  requirements,  certification  and  compliance  norms,  buyer-seller  connect services,  and  global  e-commerce  guidance.  It  also  integrates  inputs  from  the Department  of  Commerce,  Indian  Missions  abroad,  Export  Promotion  Councils, Commodity Boards and other agencies to enable continuous engagement and sectorspecific supports.

Government is continuously strengthening its export quality management ecosystem from  the  ground  up,  starting  at  the  farm  and  production  levels.    The  concerned agencies  such  as  Export  Inspection  Council  (EIC),  Agricultural  &  Processed  Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Marine Products Export Development  Authority  (MPEDA),  other  Commodity  Boards,  Export  Promotion Councils  (EPCs)  etc.  regularly  undertake  appropriate  measures  including  capacity building of exporters, pre-export controls, laboratory testing and stakeholder sensitisation  to  strengthen  quality  management    and  ensure  compliance  with  the standards of importing countries.

Further,  Export  Inspection  Council  (EIC)  is  strengthening  certification  and  testing systems and has entered into Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) with several countries, including the United States, European Union, Russia for various products. These initiatives  promote  international  acceptance  of  Indian  certifications,  improve product quality, and facilitate smoother access to global markets.

Apart  from  the  product  related  interventions,  the  Government  undertakes  multiple initiatives to strengthen India's integration into global value chains and reduce trade frictions. BharatTradeNet (BTN), announced in the Union Budget, aims to streamline cross-border  trade  through  digitalisation  of  trade  documents,  cross-border  data exchange, and hence facilitating improved access to trade finance for exporting to foreign  markets.  In  addition,  schemes  such  as  the  Trade  Infrastructure  for  Export Scheme  (TIES)  and  the  Market  Access  Initiative  (MAI)  are  being  implemented  to address infrastructural and market access barriers, while Rebate of State and Central Levies  and  Taxes  (RoSCTL) Scheme  and  the  Remission of  Duties  and  Taxes  on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme enhance export competitiveness by neutralising embedded taxes and levies. A Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin has also been introduced to facilitate trade and improve utilisation of Free Trade Agreements.  Further,  the  PM  GatiShakti  National  Master  Plan  and  the  National Logistics Policy focus on integrated infrastructure development and logistics efficiency to support exports.

At  the  grassroots  level,  the  Districts  as  Export  Hubs  (DEH)  initiative  is  being implemented to promote exports competitiveness from districts by identifying products and services with export potential and strengthening local value chains. District Export Action Plans (DEAPs), prepared in coordination with State Governments, focus on addressing gaps in infrastructure, logistics, standardisation, branding, market access, quality control, testing and capacity building, thereby enabling wider participation of exporters, including MSMEs, in global markets.

Additionally,  to  strengthen  export  competitiveness,  particularly  for  MSMEs,  the Government  has  recently  approved  the  Export  Promotion  Mission  (EPM)  with  an outlay of ₹25,060 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2030-31. The Mission comprises two sub-schemes: Niryat Protsahan, which enhances access to export finance, and Niryat Disha,  which  supports  key  trade  enablers  such  as  quality  compliance,  branding, logistics, warehousing and trade intelligence.

Under  Niryat  Disha,  targeted  financial  assistance  is  envisaged  through  the  subcomponent on Support for Export Quality and Technical Compliance for sectors facing high  compliance  costs  arising  from  SPS,  TBT  and  other  NTMs.  The  support  is intended to assist exporters, particularly MSMEs, in meeting raising costs related to testing,  certification  and  audits,  thereby  improving  compliance,  reducing  rejections, and minimising shipment delays at foreign ports.

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