A two-day national workshop on environment-linked trade barriers and free trade agreements (FTAs) began in New Delhi on Monday, bringing together government officials and trade experts to discuss the impact of climate-related non-tariff measures on India's export competitiveness.
Workshop Inaugurated by Department of Commerce
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Department of Commerce in collaboration with the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) and the Centre for Research in International Trade (CRIT) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), inaugurated the National Workshop/Chintan Shivir on "Environment-Related Non-Tariff Measures: WTO Rules and Their Implications for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)" at Nalanda Hall, IIFT Bhawan, New Delhi.
As per a press release by the Ministry, the workshop gathers senior government officials, trade experts, WTO practitioners, industry representatives, and stakeholders from multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations. The primary focus is on emerging challenges posed by environment-related non-tariff measures (NTMs) and their implications for India's trade and export competitiveness.
Objectives and Expected Outcomes
The workshop aims to enhance understanding of the increasing number of environmental and climate-related trade measures adopted globally, assess their potential impact on Indian exports, and formulate strategic responses through the WTO framework and India's FTAs. Deliberations are expected to contribute to India's efforts to safeguard market access, strengthen export competitiveness, and promote sustainable trade practices.
Key themes include WTO rules governing Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), sustainability-related non-tariff measures, carbon- and deforestation-related trade measures, stakeholder and industry perspectives, and strategies for addressing emerging trade concerns through multilateral and bilateral mechanisms. The workshop will conclude on 23 June 2026 with a valedictory session.
Inaugural Session Highlights
The inaugural session commenced with opening remarks by Head of CWS, Pritam Banerjee. Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce, Richa Prakash Choudhary welcomed participants and outlined the objectives. Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh delivered the Special Address, underscoring the importance of strengthening India's preparedness to address sustainability-linked trade measures and evolving global regulatory frameworks. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Professor and Head of Administration, CRIT-IIFT, Dr. Murali Kallummal.
Experts participating include Head of the TBT Section, Trade and Environment Division, WTO, Geneva, Erik Wijkstrom; Former Chair of the WTO TBT Committee, Anwar Shaik; Former CEO of NABCB and Member of the UNFCCC CDM Accreditation Panel, Anil Jauhri; Co-Founder and Advocate at Sarvada Legal, Atul Sharma; trade policy expert Pranav Kumar; along with senior officials from the Department of Commerce and CWS.
