The WTO panel has called on India to adhere to the World Trade Rule on Sugar

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By Emma Forge

GENEVA, Dec. 14 (Reuters) – The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday ruled in favor of Brazil, Australia and Guatemala in trade disputes with India over sugar subsidies.

In cases brought to the WTO in 2019, rival producers accused India of violating WTO rules by providing excessive domestic support and export subsidies for sugar and sugarcane.

“We recommend that India bring its WTO-random measures in line with the agricultural agreement and its obligations under the Convention on Subsidies and Counter-Measures,” the panel said.

India, the world’s second-largest sugar producer after Brazil, can appeal the decision. His work for the World Trade Organization in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the panel’s 115-page https://bit.ly/3ytOeUn report.

For the five sugar seasons between 2014-15 and 2018-19, India provided domestic sugarcane farmers with a maximum domestic support of more than 10% of the maximum allowed by the Global Agreement.

He said India had failed to notify the WTO Committee of its sugar export subsidies and had breached another agreement.

However, the panel did not accept one of Australia’s complaints, which stated that India had reserves of sugar that should have been reported to the WTO in the 1990s.