India in the WTO

This is what the notification states:

TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY

PART-II, SECTION—3, SUB SECTION (ii)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NOTIFICATION NO. 82 /(RE-2008 ) / 2004-2009

NEW DELHI, DATED 23 JANUARY, 2009

S.O. (E) In exercise of powers conferred by Section 5, read along with Section 3(2) of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, also read along with paragraph 2.1 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-09, the Central Government hereby amends Schedule – I (Imports) of the ITC (HS) Classifications of Export and Import Items, 2004-09 as under:-

1. “Import of ‘Toys’ from China appearing under ITC Codes 9501, 9502, 9503 of Schedule – I of ITC(HS) Classifications of Export and Import Items is prohibited for six months with immediate effect and until further orders.”

2. This issues in public interest.

Sd/-

(R.S. Gujral)

Director General of Foreign Trade and

Ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India

(Issued from F.No. 01/89/180/0053/AM01/PC-2(A)

It can be found on the DGFT website here

The Business Standard reports:

India is keeping its options open on supporting a candidate for the post of WTO Director- General, although Commerce Secretary G K Pillai stated that New Delhi would back Pascal Lamy for a second term.     
“Lamy is going to seek re-election…we are likely to support him,” a senior Commerce Ministry official today said but quickly added, “what decision will finally be taken, ask me closer to the time of elections, not now”.     

Update:

According to Reuters:

The current head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Pascal Lamy, is the only candidate to be the next director-general, since no one has emerged to challenge him for the job, a WTO spokesman said on Monday.

The Indian government is engaged in an all-out defensive against recent allegations by European NGOs that Indian exports are tainted with child labor.  Kamal Nath the commerce Minister has dismissed these as slurs against India’s image and has threatened to retaliate if trade barriers are erected.

The allegations were made in an Observer article dated 28 october and can be read here http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2200573,00.html and here http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2200590,00.html

The Indian media has begun to conjecture whether the United States and the EU are attacking India for its intransigence on the Doha deal by raising the child labor issue at this juncture. The department of labor of the United States recently issued a public notice inviting information for its annual report on child labor practices in GSP beneficiary countries including India. The last date for receipt of information is 5 December 2007.  The Indian government will no doubt be making its submission, as will concerned NGOs. The public notice of the US dept. of labor can be read here   http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21920.pdf

This is a news and discussion blog on issues pertaining to India’s engagement with the World Trade Organization