1.   

India flays EU’s quality norms in trade policy review

India has raised concerns about the “unscientific’’ pesticide residue level specifications imposed by the European Union on import of farm products and the domestic content requirement in its renewable energy programmes at the 27-member bloc’s Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organisation. “We have been facing problems exporting farm and fishery products to the EU because of its unreasonably high quality specifications which are enhanced from time to time without any justification.

2.   

India asks Russia to allow rice imports

Seeking greater market access for its agriculture products, India on Wednesday asked Russia to lift the temporary suspension on importing rice from the country. The issue came up for discussion during the meeting of Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Valentinovich Ulyukaev on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial meeting in Brunei.

3.   

India, ASEAN target $100 bn bilateral trade by 2015

India and ASEAN on Wednesday decided to set a target of $100 billion turnover for the bilateral trade by 2015 between the two entities and reviewed the completion of legal scrubbing of India-ASEAN agreements on Trade in Services and Investment. During the meeting with the ASEAN countries Ministers at Brunei, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma informed the Ministers about the steps taken by India for elevating its relationship ASEAN to a strategic partnership.

4.   

India presses U.S. for renewal of GSP scheme

India has taken up with United States the issue for immediate renewal of the legal authorisation of the US Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme, which expired on July 31 this year, to avoid any adverse impact on trade exchanges between the two countries. Highly placed sources in the Commerce and Industry Ministry said that the Indian government had already brought to the notice of the U.S. administration the need to extend beyond July 31 through September 2015 for the GSP programme.