{"id":114648,"date":"2026-07-23T11:07:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T05:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=114648"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:07:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T05:37:45","slug":"indias-8th-wto-trade-policy-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-8th-wto-trade-policy-review\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s 8th WTO Trade Policy Review (TPR) &#8211; Reaffirming Commitment to an Inclusive Multilateral Trading System"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>WTO Trade Policy Review (TPR) Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s 8th Trade Policy Review (TPR) commenced at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on 21 July 2026 (~65<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WTO Members participated), covering the review period 1 January 2021\u201331 December 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Led by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, India presented its trade policy <\/span><b>achievements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, economic <\/span><b>performance <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>reform <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">agenda while responding to questions from WTO members.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The review serves as a transparency mechanism to assess members&#8217; trade policies and their consistency with WTO principles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>What is the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TRPM)?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The TPRM is a <\/span><b>transparency exercise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the WTO. It enables members to periodically examine each other&#8217;s trade policies and practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The objective is to improve transparency, predictability and accountability in the multilateral trading system rather than to enforce compliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>India\u2019s Economic and Trade Performance<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India highlighted its resilience despite geopolitical tensions, supply-chain disruptions and rising global protectionism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Key achievements:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recorded nearly 8% average annual GDP growth during 2021\u20132025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Achieved record exports of USD 863.1 billion in 2025\u201326.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continued pursuing the vision of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/viksit-bharat-2047\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Viksit Bharat @2047<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while addressing the developmental needs of nearly one-fifth of the world&#8217;s population.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Major Trade and Economic Reforms Highlighted<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India showcased a broad range of structural and trade-related reforms aimed at enhancing competitiveness and integration with the global economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Key initiatives:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Aatmanirbhar Bharat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Strengthening domestic manufacturing while integrating with Global Value Chains (<\/span><b>GVCs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Jan Vishwas initiative:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Regulatory simplification and ease of doing business.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital customs and trade facilitation measures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logistics modernisation and quality infrastructure development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (<\/span><b>DPI<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) for financial inclusion and trade efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotion of Artificial Intelligence (<\/span><b>AI<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), innovation and startups.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on sustainability, agricultural resilience and inclusive development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expansion of Regional Trade Agreements (<\/span><b>RTAs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continued support through South-South Cooperation and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (<\/span><b>ITEC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) Programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India reiterated its support for balanced, development-oriented WTO reforms that strengthen the multilateral trading system while safeguarding the interests of developing countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Recognition from WTO Leadership and Members<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>WTO TPR Body (TPRB):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognised India as one of the fastest-growing major economies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appreciated India&#8217;s leadership in digitally delivered services exports.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commended reforms in DPI, financial inclusion and trade facilitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welcomed India&#8217;s acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, following the deposit of its Instrument of Acceptance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Praised India&#8217;s timely responses to advance questions, reflecting transparency under the TPR mechanism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Active participant (Brazil): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brazil&#8217;s representative highlighted &#8211;<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Success of the Goods and Services Tax (<\/span><b>GST<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) in creating a unified domestic market.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s digital trade reforms and expanding export strategy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importance of recent RTAs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (<\/span><b>DFTP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) Scheme for Least Developed Countries (LDCs).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s DPI as a model for other developing countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Key Area of Conflict<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and key WTO members are at loggerheads over the 66-nation Agreement on Electronic Commerce (<\/span><b>ECA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), with India challenging the legality of <\/span><b>bypassing <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multilateral consensus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Core arguments and objections:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Consensus rule:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India maintains that adding any new plurilateral pact to <\/span><b>Annex 4 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">requires the agreement of all WTO members under the Marrakesh Agreement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It failed to pass during General Council meetings in 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Annex 4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contains plurilateral trade agreements that are binding only on the specific member countries who choose to accept them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It currently includes <\/span><b>two <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">active pacts: the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft and the Revised Agreement on Government Procurement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Interim validity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Following the deadlock, 66 participating countries issued a declaration, establishing an interim arrangement to operationalize the e-commerce pact.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Institutional overreach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: New Delhi formally questioned the institutional and legal basis, challenging a partial-membership deal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Broader multilateral divide:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Plurilateral push:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Proponent nations argue that coalition-based &#8220;Joint Statement Initiatives&#8221; are necessary to prevent total paralysis on new-age trade rules when complete consensus is unachievable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Systemic risk:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India contends that allowing subsets of countries to operationalize unapproved agreements undermines the core multilateral character of the global trading system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Significance of TPR for India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Soft power and cultural diplomacy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On the sidelines of the review, India organised an exhibition showcasing\u00a0 diverse Indian products, and traditional papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 handicrafts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reinforces: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s image as a responsible stakeholder in the multilateral trading system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Demonstrates: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s attempt to balance self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) with greater global economic integration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Highlights: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s growing role in digital trade, services exports, and South-South cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthens: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s credibility in ongoing WTO negotiations and reform discussions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reflects: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s emphasis on inclusive, transparent and development-oriented global trade governance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287487&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>PIB<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India&#8217;s 8th Trade Policy Review (TPR) commenced at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, covering the review period 1 January 2021\u201331 December 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":114669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[8881],"class_list":["post-114648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","tag-wto-trade-policy-review-trp","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114648"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114672,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114648\/revisions\/114672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}