Srinagar, June 19: J&K export industry is not going to be affected by the Doha round of trade negotiations, said experts at a day-long workshop ‘WTO Agreements and Implications for Select Industries in J&K’ here today.
 Ranjan Sudesh Ratna, professor Centre of WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade said the Doha agreement would not have any adverse effect on most of the items J&K exports.
 He said to prevent dumping of material by foreign countries in other states, governments can use wide range of duties. “If you think you are suffering because other countries are dumping their material here at much reduced rates, the only way out is to fill the gap. This is possible by increasing the duties,” he said.
 He said the business community has a great role to play in it. “The traders’ community can influence the government to impose import duties on such material,” he said.
 “If it will not make any difference you still have safeguards that can protect you,’ he added.
 According to Ranjan it is not possible to have a cohesive policy for any product in the whole country.
 Shashank Priya, professor Centre for WTO studies said, “Doha negotiations are aimed to stop unfair trade practices where a country reduces the prices of its goods artificially aimed at causing losses to other country.”
 “To take any action against such country one has to prove that the major section of the industry is affected by dumping from the other country. The affected country has to submit a report based on three years survey about how it has affected the production, labour, return of capital, pricing of domestic good etc. only then any action can be taken against such country,” he said.
 He said that many countries are giving the subsidies to improve their exports which come under the prohibited subsidies. “If proved a country is giving some subsidy on its exports to hurt the domestic industry of other country then WTO can take step against the country. Such subsidies like exemption of income tax is not permissible and are said to be red subsidies,” he added.
 According to Shashank one country cannot appeal for Anti Dumping duty against other country unless it proves that the country is causing the injury to a major industrial sector in the country. “In Kashmir there are only few carpet industries and they do not represent the major industries in India. So it is difficult to launch Anti Dumping Duty for any country like China or Iran for making their material available here at cheaper rates. However if the carpet industries at other places like Uttar Pradesh etc will join Kashmiri people then the case may be pleaded. However in such cases the sharing of data between the parties becomes the major hindrance,” he said.
 Pertinently the workshop was organized by the Centre for WTO Studies and Federation of Indian Export Organization in association with the J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST