LONDON, April 8: India has failed to convince the World Trade Organization of its case that it was being discriminated against while Pakistan was granted special trading concessions in textile exporting.
Indian appal was rejected by WTO on Wednesday. New Delhi claimed that Pakistan's entry to the scheme was a "reward" for co-operation in the fight against terrorism and that it "has affected $250m of Indian textile exports, which face higher tariffs than their Pakistani equivalents," said a leading British daily on Thursday.
"The World Trade Organization on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the European Union against a ruling that it unfairly discriminated against India by granting Pakistan special trade privileges under a scheme for countries combating illicit drug production," said the British daily.
"The appeals body said WTO rules on the granting of trade preferences required rich nations to treat equally countries with the same "development, financial and trade needs."
"The EU's drugs scheme, which applies to just 12 beneficiaries, all except Pakistan in Latin America, failed this test, because the arrangements were not extended to all poor nations in similar situations."
The British daily said: "Though the appellate body did not rule against special preferences for drugs-producing countries as such, it told the EU to change the scheme to comply with WTO rules. If Brussels does not do so, India could ask for WTO authorization to retaliate."-APP
