Agriculture Interview Question:

Did India use the special safeguard provisions available in the Agreement on Agriculture? Will developing countries have recourse to any emergency safeguard measures in the Doha Round?

Submitted by: Administrator

The AoA allowed Members to take special emergency actions (“special safeguards” by way of imposition of an additional tariff) in the case of products whose non-tariff restrictions were converted to tariffs, in order to prevent swiftly falling prices or surges in imports from hurting their farmers. The right to do so was reserved by 38 members and for a limited number of products in each case. India was not entitled to do so because it exercised the option of binding its tariffs instead of “tariffication” of quantitative restrictions (on account of balance of payments problems).
Submitted by: Administrator