Presently India grants six monthly derogations in respect of certain commodities, which allow fumigation of those commodities with MB at the port of arrival in India
Presently India grants six monthly derogations in respect of certain commodities, which allow fumigation of those commodities with MB at the port of arrival in India.
(3) MEASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING EXPORTS
(iii) Export taxes, charges, and levies
WTO Secretariat's Report, page 76, para. 131
Export taxes on tanned and un tanned hides, skins, and leathers (except manufactures of leather) in the range of 25 60 % have remained in place since the last WTO Trade Policy of India in 2007. Amongst others, export taxes for iron ores and concentrates (including iron ore fines) were introduced in 2009. In March 2011, the export duty on iron ore concentrates and iron ore fines was raised to a common level of 20 %.
Could India give any indication on a possible timeline for the reduction and/or removal of the export duty on hides, skins and leathers? What is the specific reasoning behind the increase of the export duty on iron ore concentrates and iron ore fines in March 2011?
Reply: Export duties are imposed to preserve natural resources and raise revenue. Such export duties are not inconsistent with the WTO provisions. The export duty on iron ore has been rationalized.
(v) Export prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing
WTO Secretariat report, page 78, para.135
The report compiles information concerning the export restrictions applied in India, which are also listed in Table AIII.5. Some of these bans were supposed to represent short term measures to ease the domestic supply but they have instead been in place for more than four years.
With India's rising global footprint, does India consider that export restrictions (e.g. export bans on non basmati rice and wheat in 2007 and later on cotton) risk creating greater international price volatility and encouraging other countries to close their markets, exacerbating global fragmentation?
