Trade and agriculture officials from the United States Wednesday announced a Word Trade Organization counter notification on India’s market price support for wheat and rice. The notification, filed May 4, 2018, is the first ever of its type under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture regarding measures by another country. Based on U.S. calculations, it appears that India has substantially underreported its market price support for wheat and rice. When calculated according to WTO Agreement on Agriculture methodology, India’s market price support for wheat and rice far exceeded its allowable levels of trade-distorting domestic support, according to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Secretary Perdue says “India must be transparent about their practices.” Lighthizer says accurate reporting and improved transparency “is an important step” in ensuring that India is living up to it’s WTO commitments.
