Context: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a task force to identify and resolve trade barriers being faced by foreign exporters to provide greater market access to domestic goods.

Commerce Ministry Establishes Task Force To Identify And Resolve Trade Barrier Conflicts For Exporters

• Items on which high barriers are faced by Indian Exports are Chillies, tea, basmati rice, milk, poultry, in the European Union, Sesame seed, and apparel in Japan and Food, meat, fish, dairy and industrial products in China.

The Mandate of Task Force

• To look at the trade barriers and technical barriers
• To improve systems and standards
• To improve mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with different countries 
  • Hence, product standards should be as per the requirements of the importing countries

About Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs):

• NTMs are domestic rules created to protect human, animal or plant health and environment. 
• Nature: 
  • Technical: NTM may be technical measures like regulations, standards, testing, certification, and pre-shipment inspection.
  • Non-Technical: NTM may be non-technical measures like quotas, import licensing, subsidies and government procurement restrictions.
• Concern: NTMs create hurdles for trade and are called NTBs (non-tariff barriers), when they become arbitrary, beyond scientific justification.

Also Refer: Meaning And Reasons For International Trade

News Source: Business Outlook