Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Open structured, sector-focused discussions with India to reduce identified trade-distorting barriers.
Recommendation
To address non-tariff barriers, the Government should open structured, sector-focused discussions with India to reduce the most trade-distorting barriers identified by industry, using the Sub-Committee on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment. The Government should clearly identify priority issues and set out a timetable for their resolution and protect the appropriate resourcing of Foreign Office and Department for Business and Trade staff for deal implementation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 104)
Government Response Summary
The government will actively engage businesses to address challenges in utilizing the agreement and use formal engagement mechanisms, including the Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Sub-Committee, to resolve issues. They have a large in-country team in India consisting of sector experts.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
As referenced above, this deal goes further than any India has ever signed in tackling non-tariff barriers, and we will actively engage businesses to ensure we hear about challenges utilising the agreement and use the formal engagement mechanisms in the deal to raise and resolve issues quickly, including via the Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Sub-Committee. Entry into force is the start, not the end. The agreement must evolve, and we have a built-in review within five years, and every five years after that, or sooner if agreed. HM Government, primarily through DBT, will ensure that industry has sufficient support and knows how to raise concerns around non-tariff barriers in India, including through mechanisms to gather business feedback on FTA implementation. India has one of the DBT’s biggest in-country overseas teams in the world (only behind the US and China). This consists of sectoral experts who work directly with UK companies to help them to enter, grow and expand into the Indian market. In addition, the team has staff focusing on trade policy, market access, investment promotion, and marketing and communications, as well as specialist attaches on areas like agriculture and intellectual property, under the leadership of HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia. The DBT teams work in partnership with FCDO teams in India, who also have objectives to support UK economic growth. Alongside this, there are substantial teams based in London focused on FTA implementation and FTA utilisation.