The Hindu Business Line : Govt will retaliate against unfair trade actions on Indian products

INDIA would not hesitate to take retaliatory steps against countries if the trade actions against its products were found to be unfair and non-transparent, according to the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath.

"I am considering some action from our side," Mr Kamal Nath said while referring to the European Union "imposing duty on Indian pharmaceutical products".

He was addressing a national seminar on the Annual Supplement 2005 to the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09. The national seminar was organised by the FICCI.

Mr Kamal Nath highlighted that the Indian Government was often pressured by the domestic industry (affected by the countervailing action of foreign countries) to take up issues on their behalf.

"While we are opening our doors in every possible sector, certain developed economies seem to be shutting up - in a subtle way through non-tariff barriers and sanitary and phytosanitary measures," he said.

Inter-State trade council: On the issue of the proposed inter-State trade council (ISTC), Mr Kamal Nath said that the Council is designed to bring about greater engagement and more economic activity. "The inter-State trade council is a long-felt need. I want to create an atmosphere of competition in States and take them as partner in progress in our export effort. The need to bolster exports should not be confined to Udyog Bhavan and FICCI house," he said.

Mr Kamal Nath also said that he intends to ask the export promotion councils (proposed to be called trade promotion councils) to identify issues that could be taken to the proposed Council. An issue in point could be as to how the State-level taxes like mandi tax could be neutralised for the exporter.

The FICCI President, Mr Onkar Kanwar, underscored the need for the Government to simplify export procedures and reduce the number of forms that needed to be filled by an exporter. He highlighted that an exporter in Singapore had to just fill up seven forms for his export consignments.

Mr Kanwar also said that the Government should look at neutralising all State-level taxes under the DEPB scheme.

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