WTO deadlock ends: India, US strike deal, boost for Modi
Signalling a triumph of the negotiating prowess of the Narendra Modi government, India and the US have managed to strike a compromise formula on food subsidies, which paves the way for salvaging the stalled World Trade Organization (WTO) deal on easing of customs rules.
The mid-way formula that ended months of impasse in global trade negotiations envisaged an indefinite “peace clause” on food security until a permanent solution is found, a key demand of India for which Indian negotiators played hardball, resisting concerted pressure from developed countries. A “peace clause” provided legal security to member countries and protects them from being challenged under WTO’s subsidy caps. In India’s case, it effectively means that the country can continue with its food security programmes without attracting WTO penalties pending a permanent solution to the contentious issue of subsidies.
