January 20, 2025

Labour Rights: US WTO plan: E-commerce talks out, labour rights in

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NEW DELHI: The US on Wednesday outlined its trade strategy, which entails opting out of talks for global rules on e-commerce at the WTO, a move that is seen to be positive for India, along with the Biden administration’s pitch against the global disruption caused by “non-market economies”, a statement that was targeted at China.
What will, however, not be good news for the government is the US Trade Representative Katharine Tai’s suggestion for an international framework on climate change and protecting the rights of workers under the Geneva-based body.India has long opposed any move to link climate or environment related issues and labour to global trade.
While the immediate focus of trade negotiators will be on getting the dispute settlement mechanism, especially after Tai listed out the US focus, the other elements of the statement are seen to be crucial from India’s point of view, not just at the WTO but even in the bilateral trade negotiations.
“The US decision on e-commerce is very laudable and it will have ramifications not just for the joint initiative on e-commerce but also under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. This is an opportune moment for India to review its stand on the digital chapter in some of the FTAs it is negotiating, especially when the US is having serious reservations on the issue,” said trade expert Abhijit Das.



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