Agricultural Trade Protection: A Perspective from India
Ever since the Uruguay Round negotiating mandate sought “greater liberalization of trade in agriculture”, WTO Members have been locked in an intense debate on the nature and extent of trade liberalization in agriculture. Various perspectives on the agricultural trade liberalization have come to the fore in this debate. While the proponents of the trade liberalization agenda have argued in favour of dismantling the protective walls for this would bring significant global welfare gains, there have been contra voices that have emphasized that there are significant non-trade concerns which would have to given precedence over the trade agenda. This policy brief reviews traditional arguments for trade liberalization and provides a closer look at the additional reasons for use of government intervention, including trade policy, in agriculture in a developing country, with a particular reference to India.