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India has proposed that the Trade Facilitation Agreement being negotiated at the World Trade Organisation should make it mandatory for Customs authorities to give exporters the option of taking back rejected consignments before destroying them.
“In the past India has faced problems in Europe when Customs authorities have destroyed rejected consignments without giving an opportunity to exporters to take them back. This is unfair and should be stopped,” a Commerce Department official told Business Line .
More measures
The country has also submitted a second proposal on measures to be followed by all countries to enhance impartiality, non-discrimination, cooperation and transparency at the Customs.
The proposed Trade Facilitation Agreement, which seeks to make movement of goods across borders easier and cheaper, may be signed at the WTO ministerial meeting in December as part of a small package that members are trying to harvest.
With the on-going Doha Round of negotiations, launched more than a decade ago, deadlocked for several years, members are hopeful of signing pacts in a handful of areas including trade facilitation and food security.
While developed countries want developing countries to take on binding obligations to upgrade infrastructure at their Custom stations, India has been insisting on commitments to enhance cooperation between Custom authorities and transparency related to detention and testing procedures.
In its proposal to the WTO, India has said that a multilateral mechanism for exchange of information on customs matters should be established in identified cases of import and export where there is a reason to doubt truth and accuracy of the declaration file by a trader.
It has also submitted that countries should ensure transparency and impartial administration of import alerts, particularly in respect of the manner of their issuance and withdrawal.
In case of detention of imported goods for inspection, India wants the importer to be informed promptly. Traders should be provided an opportunity for a confirmatory test in case the result of a sample shows an adverse finding.
There should also be common border procedures and uniform forms and documents throughout the territory of a WTO member, India has proposed. Indian exporters face a lot of problems in Europe as standards and measures within the region differ from one country to the other.
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