We are pleased to note that India has ratified four of the core ILO Conventions and three of the priority Conventions.
Would India please indicate its intentions in relation to the ratification of the following core ILO Conventions which it has not yet ratified: Conventions 87, 98, 138, 182?
Reply: This has already been replied in questions 1 and 7 above.
(3) REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
(ii) Preferential and regional trade agreements
WTO Secretariat's report, page 27, para. 20
The report points to certain reservations by India regarding regionalism "because of its complexity and possible trade diversion".
Could India elaborate further on these reservations, and the causes of such concern? How does India reconcile these concerns with its on going regional trade policy?
Reply: India believes that RTAs complement the multilateral rule based trading regime. India's concerns on regionalism stem not from possible trade diversion but from the multiple tariff differentials, complicated rules of origin and the duty inversion effect of RTAs and how these could act as a disincentive for local manufacturing.
According to our information, India's FTA with Japan, which was signed in February 2011, has entered into force on 1 August.
Could India explain the main objectives pursued with this FTA? In addition, could India share information regarding the tariff coverage of this agreement? When does India plan to notify this FTA to WTO?
Furthermore, India has recently signed two bilateral FTAs with two ASEAN members, namely Malaysia and Thailand. These agreements have not yet been notified to WTO.
Reply: A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Japan was signed on 16 February 2011. This Agreement has come into force from 1 August 2011. The main objectives pursued with this Agreement are to:
