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Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
India's trade negotiators to strategise for WTO this month
Synopsis Indian trade negotiators are set to convene later this month to strategize for the upcoming WTO ministerial conference and prepare for the country's trade policy review next year. The focus will be on WTO reform, particularly restoring the dispute settlement mechanism and consensus-based decision-making. India also aims to address trade distortions caused by non-market economies and non-tariff barriers. TIL Creatives Representative Image New Delhi: India's trade negotiators will meet later this month to draw up the strategy for the next World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference and prepare for the country's eighth trade policy review (TPR) at the global watchdog next year, officials said. The commerce and industry ministry is organising a WTO retreat in New Delhi amid the global trade turmoil and a dysfunctional dispute settlement body of the WTO, they said. "A retreat is being planned in the week of August 25. The agenda is still fluid but the focus will be to prepare for MC14 and India's TPR," one of the officials said. The TPR is a key pillar of the WTO's functioning as it enables an assessment of the trade policies and practices of member countries. India's TPR is held every five years. The last one was in 2021. Usually, the review includes preparation of two important reports: one by the WTO Secretariat and another by India, which are then circulated to all members, and become the basis for member's questions. The 14th WTO ministerial conference, or MC14, is planned for 2026. It is crucial in the light of the US' high tariff regime. The global trade watchdog expects the tariffs to weigh on imports into the US and depress exports of its trading partners in the second half of 2025 and in 2026. New Delhi has insisted on WTO reform, particularly the restoration of a binding, two-tier, effective and fully functioning dispute settlement mechanism and consensus-based decision making, along with special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries. India has flagged concerns on the intention of some countries to sidestep consensus-based decision making, which ensures every member's voice matters. New Delhi has highlighted that there are attempts to dilute the multilateral character of the organisation with a club within club kind of approach and called for action to address trade distortions caused by non-market economies and non-tariff barriers.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India-UK trade pact subtly curtails India's ability to issue compulsory licenses: GTRI
New Delhi: India has accepted language in the intellectual property chapter of the free trade agreement with the UK that subtly curtails its ability to issue compulsory licences, a critical tool for accessing life-saving technologies during emergencies, think tank GTRI said on Thursday. It also said that India has agreed to "adequate remuneration" norms for compulsory licensing for the pharma sector in the agreement with the UK, thus risking delays in future access to affordable medicines and green tech. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Design Thinking others Degree Cybersecurity Technology Project Management Management Finance Healthcare Leadership Data Science Data Analytics Others MCA healthcare PGDM Artificial Intelligence Public Policy Data Science Product Management CXO MBA Digital Marketing Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 25 Weeks IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK PCP DTIM Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 22 Weeks IIM Indore CERT-IIMI DTAI Async India Starts on undefined Get Details The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that in "a significant concession, India has accepted language in the Intellectual Property (IP) chapter of the agreement that subtly curtails its ability to issue compulsory licenses (CL), a critical tool for accessing life-saving technologies during emergencies". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Orthopedic Knee Surgeon: Suffering From Pain After Age 50? Do This Every Morning Wellnee Undo "For the first time" in any trade agreement, India has explicitly agreed to wording that stresses the need for 'adequate remuneration' to patent holders, GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said. While this may seem like a reaffirmation of existing rights, he said, its inclusion in an FTA elevates this principle to a binding bilateral obligation, potentially constraining India's flexibility under domestic law. Live Events "Even more concerning, the agreement promotes voluntary licensing as the preferred route, alongside so-called 'fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory' (FRAND) practices, which are framed around the interests of patent holders rather than public need," he said. These soft-law concepts carry the risk of being interpreted in ways that delay access to affordable medicines or green technologies, especially during pandemics or climate-related crises, Srivastava said. He added that while India formally retains its sovereign right to issue compulsory licenses, the bar has been raised.. The agreement's emphasis on transparency, adequate royalties, and voluntary mechanisms could subject India's licensing decisions to greater scrutiny, both domestically and internationally, he said. "In effect, the free trade agreement shifts India from being a defender of public health exceptions to a rule-taker in IP enforcement-compromising its ability to act swiftly in future emergencies," he added.
The Herald Scotland
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Supreme Court lets Trump fire Consumer Product Safety panel members
"Once again, this Court uses its emergency docket to de-stroy the independence of an independent agency, as estab-lished by Congress," Justice Elena Kagan wrote. "By means of such actions, this Court may facilitate the permanent transfer of authority, piece by piece by piece, from one branch of Government to another." The five-member regulatory commission, created by Congress in 1972, aims to keep people from being injured or killed by defective or harmful products. Commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate in staggered seven-year terms to protect them from political or industry pressure and to protect the agency from abrupt changes in composition. By law, commissioners can be removed only for "neglect of duty or malfeasance in office." But, in May, Trump fired without cause the three members appointed by President Joe Biden: Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric and Richard Trumka Jr. A federal judge in Maryland ordered the commissioners reinstated, saying the threat to public safety from removing them outweighed any hardship the administration might suffer from keeping them on while the firings are being challenged. In his June ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox also said the product safety commission is similar in structure and function to another independent agency that was the center of a landmark 1935 ruling - Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. - limiting the ability of the president to remove independent agency officials. "Humphrey's Executor remains good law and is binding on this Court," Maddox wrote. But the Trump administration said Maddox instead should've taken his cue from the Supreme Court's May decision allowing the president to fire Democratic members of two federal labor boards while the former members challenge their dismissals. The product safety commission is now effectively controlled by Biden's appointees even though Trump is president, lawyers for the government said in a filing. Decisions made by the commissioners who are "hostile" to Trump's agenda have "thrown the agency into chaos and have put agency staff in the untenable position of deciding which Commissioners' directives to follow," the Justice Department said. Attorneys for the three commissioners appointed by Biden reminded the Supreme Court that the justices twice in the past year declined to review appeals court decisions that upheld restrictions on the president's ability to remove Consumer Product Safety Commission members without cause. And Maddox, the district judge, noted that the term of one of the three Biden appointees expires in October, giving Trump the chance to appoint her successor and to "exert significant influence over the agency."
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ecolab Life Sciences Launches Purolite AP+50 Resin for Enhanced Biopharmaceutical Purification
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) is one of the best basic materials stocks to invest in. On June 16, Ecolab Life Sciences announced the launch of Purolite AP+50 resin, which features a 50-micron bead size and offers the highest dynamic binding capacity within the AP resin platform. The resin uses Ecolab's patented Jetted resin bead manufacturing technology. Purolite AP+50 assists biopharmaceutical companies and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations/CDMOs in purification. Pixabay/Public Domain This new resin joins Ecolab's existing purification resins, which include the recently launched Purolite DurA Cycle A50 for longer lifetimes and Purolite 70 CH1 to target complex antibody fragments. Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services through 4 segments: Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Global Pest Elimination. While we acknowledge the potential of ECL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Telangana Says No To Discussion On Andhra's Banakacherla Project Ahead Of Key Meet
Hyderabad: Ahead of a crucial meeting of the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to discuss inter-state river water issues, the Telangana Government has formally lodged a strong objection to the inclusion of the Godavari-Banakacherla link project on the agenda. In a sharply worded letter addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, Telangana's Chief Secretary asserted that any discussion on the project at this juncture is "unequivocally premature and procedurally untenable" due to numerous legal and procedural violations. The meeting, convened by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti on Wednesday afternoon, aimed to facilitate dialogue between the two Telugu states. The Telangana government requested that the agenda for the upcoming meeting be revised, given the lack of statutory clearances and ongoing violations of binding legal provisions and tribunal awards. It sought to defer any discussion on the Godavari-Banakacherla link project until all statutory requirements, inter-state consultations, and clearances are fully complied with and all objections are resolved. Telangana also reiterated its request for its own outstanding issues and proposals to be duly included in the agenda. On Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the project. Mr Naidu said the project only seeks to divert 200 TMC of surplus waters to drought-prone areas, and as the last riparian state, Andhra Pradesh should have the right to do so. Telangana's Objections Telangana's letter meticulously outlined a series of profound objections to the Godavari-Banakacherla link project. It argued that the project fundamentally violates the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. It contends that the project proposes to alter water allocations and project operations without the mandatory consultation and consent of all co-basin states, as required by the GWDT Award (Annexures G and H) and the Reorganisation Act (Sections 85(8)(d) and 90). The proposal to divert water beyond the 80 TMC limit at 75% dependability would also trigger mandatory sharing among all basin states, which has not been addressed. The Telangana government highlighted the absence of crucial statutory clearances from key central agencies. The project reportedly lacks approvals from the Central Water Commission (CWC), Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and the Apex Council. These clearances are mandated under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and the GWDT Award. Telangana stated that the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) submitted by Andhra Pradesh suffers from "critical data gaps and methodological deficiencies," particularly concerning water availability assumptions and technical feasibility. The CWC itself has raised fundamental questions regarding water availability computations and the need for a simulation study. The state also said the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has already rejected the project proposal, citing violations of legal and procedural requirements. Furthermore, the parent Polavaram project, from which 200 TMC of floodwaters are proposed to be diverted, faces unresolved submergence issues in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, which are sub judice, making any linked diversion proposal premature. The project has not obtained environmental clearance. Telangana asserted that the proposed diversion of 200 TMC of floodwaters from Polavaram is unilateral, fundamentally alters the operation schedule of the Polavaram Project, and directly impacts Telangana's rightful share of Godavari water, especially for its drought-prone regions. Objections By Central Agencies: Telangana's letter also noted that its objections are echoed by various Government of India agencies and statutory bodies: It said the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) has indicated that the proposed 200 TMC diversion is not part of the approved Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Polavaram and requires a comprehensive study and compliance with the tribunal awards. It said the diversion could only be considered after the Polavaram Project's completion to Full Reservoir Level and submission of a revised DPR. In the letter, it also said the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) highlighted that the diversion alters the scope and operation schedule of the Polavaram Project, requiring prior consultation and written consent from all co-basin states as per the GWDT Award. It also stressed the absence of a mutually agreed-upon apportionment of Godavari waters between the two states. Telangana said the Central Water Commission (CWC) has questioned water availability assumptions in the PFR, demanding accurate dependability computations and a simulation study to establish technical feasibility. It also said the Expert Appraisal Committee had returned the proposal due to potential GWDT Award violations and the necessity of inter-state issue resolution and clearances from CWC before further processing.
