India Can Say No on Trade. Here’s How to Get to Yes
A new roadmap could liberate negotiators to evaluate deals from a wider perspective, with less fear of the consequences.
Trade still seems like a dirty word.
Photographer: Sanjit Das/BloombergIndia’s approach to free trade can appear contradictory. Officials insist they are serious about closing new deals with the UK and the European Union and improving older ones with countries such as Australia. But they also complain that free trade deals in the past have “hurt” India or that they serve as a backdoor for unwelcome Chinese goods.
This makes it hard to interpret news that the Ministry of Commerce, which handles trade talks, plans to seek cabinet approval for a new negotiating strategy. The loud grumbling from trade bureaucrats suggests India may soon back even further away from open markets.