WTO says India must comply with global sugar trade rules

A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel ruled in favor of Brazil, Australia, and Guatemala on December 14th in their trade disputes with India over sugar subsidies, and urged New Delhi to comply with global rules.

In cases brought to the WTO in 2019, rival producers alleged that India violated WTO rules by providing excessive domestic support and sugar export subsidies.

India is the world’s biggest sugar producer after Brazil. It can appeal the decision. Its mission to the WTO in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision set out in a 115-page report.

The panel indicated that for five harvests, between 2014-15 and 2018-19, India provided domestic support to its sugarcane growers above the 10% maximum level allowed by a global agricultural agreement.

It also said that India failed to notify a WTO committee of its sugar export subsidies, in violation of a separate agreement.

However, the panel did not accept one of Australia’s claims that India had maintained regulatory sugar stockpiles that it should have reported to the WTO in the 1990s.

Source: Money Times

To read the full original article, visit the link: https://www.moneytimes.com.br/omc-diz-que-india-deve-cumprir-regras-globais-de-comercio-de-acucar/

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