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Introduction
Dr. Sachin Kumar Sharma is working as Associate Professor at the Centre for WTO Studies. He has more than 11 years of work experience with progressive responsibilities as an economist and trade expert, both at multilateral and regional levels. Dr. Sharma leads a dedicated team of lawyers and economists working on the international trade issues with key focus on agriculture. Currently, his research focuses on agricultural subsidies, food security, SDGs, FTAs and disputes, among others.
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Publications
Publications (57)
This book provides an in-depth examination of the essential role of international law in shaping global economic policies and promoting international cooperation. The book traces the historical development of economic integration, focusing on key principles and legal instruments designed to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, capital,...
This book provides an in-depth examination of the essential role of international law in shaping global economic policies and promoting international cooperation. The book traces the historical development of economic integration, focusing on key principles and legal instruments designed to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, capital,...
Agriculture subsidies are estimated to increase by US$ 2 Trillion in 2030. Many countries are critical of policies such as market price support and input subsidies due to their adverse environmental impacts, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Recently, in addition to trade distortion, environmental concerns are playing a crucial role in discipl...
Food security at the WTO remains one of the significant unaddressed demands of the developing country members. The Agreement on Agriculture has restricted the flexibility of the developing country members to administer price support backed public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, mainly due to the Amber box limit and the methodolo...
This study identifies and rationalises some of India’s issues and concerns with the signing of the RCEP. By analysing the existing trade balance, import surge trends, dumping and agricultural sensitivities, among other factors, the study justifies India’s decision to remain outside of this mega-FTA. Further, it predicts the impact of tariff elimina...
Domestic support reforms remain an unresolved and contentious issue in the WTO agricultural negotiations. There are proposals to halve the current global trade-distorting domestic support entitlements by 2030, where members would have to undertake reductions proportionate to their existing domestic support entitlements. This study critically examin...
With rising levels of food and livelihood insecurity among poor farmers, many developing members at the World Trade Organization (WTO) are demanding a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) for shielding their agriculture from import surges and price declines. Similar to special agricultural safeguards (SSGs) which are available only to some members, SS...
This policy brief critically examines the implications of proposed market access related provisions or modalities in the text circulated by the Chair of Committee on Agriculture - Special Session (CoA-SS) on the eve of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.
The analysis reveals that the Text has relied substantially on a few submissions made mainly...
This policy brief highlights the concerns regarding the proposed agriculture domestic support provisions or modalities in the text circulated by the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture-Special Session (CoA-SS) on the eve of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.
Contrary to the claim of the Chair, the Text on Domestic Support cannot encourage Memb...
Disciplining domestic support remains a burning and unresolved issue in the agricultural negotiations at the WTO due to lack of consensus. The Chair of Committee on Agriculture-Special Session (CoASS) submitted a text to cap and reduce the current global agricultural trade-distorting support (TDDS) to at least by half. The study critically examines...
Developing members at the WTO face a shrinkage in policy space for supporting their agricultural sector due to the limited room available under the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Contrastingly, most developed members can provide high levels of product-specific support without breaching their commitments on account of their suppor...
In the agriculture negotiations, developing members remain concerned about the inherent inequities in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) which allows developed members to provide huge product-specific support without breaching their commitments. As a result, developed members enjoy artificial competitiveness, which leads to an adverse impact on far...
Après plus de sept ans de négociations, l’Inde a finalement décidé de ne pas rejoindre le Partenariat régional économique global (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – RCEP). Sa décision découle de l’impact négatif potentiel que l’accord aurait eu sur sa balance commerciale et son économie, en particulier sur des secteurs tels que l’agricul...
Liberalisation of Indian agriculture under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and free trade agreements (FTAs) has always been a sensitive issue due to the crucial role played by the sector in economic development, GDP growth and employment. This chapter provides an overview of the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture and the issues faced by the Indian a...
In the heat of the ongoing protests against the new farm laws, some views have emerged that the state has saddled the Indian farmer with excessive taxes. In support of this contention, methodology and data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been used to claim that Indian farmers have enjoyed “negative support...
Cotton subsidies have remained a contentious issue in international trade and negotiations at the World Trade Organization (wto). Farmers of developing and least developed countries (ldcs) complain that the massive support provided by developed countries, especially the US, has rendered cotton production uncompetitive in the Global South, leading t...
The ongoing stalemate between the farmers protesting over the recently passed farm laws and the government has sparked an interesting debate regarding the level of agricultural support. Many media reports, based on data by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), have ostensibly stated that the support provided to Indian a...
Despite the higher cost of production, the developed country-members of the WTO like the United States (US) enjoy an artificial comparative advantage in the international cotton markets due to its huge subsidies and entitlements at the expense of the poor farmers of the developing countries. This paper has critically examined the effects of various...
This book examines the various issues and concerns faced by Indian agriculture under the obligations of WTO and the Free Trade Agreements. While the issues discussed pertain mainly to India, the lessons can also be derived for many other similarly placed developing countries. The book delves into various aspects of Indian agricultural trade and eva...
Despite the higher cost of production, the developed country members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) like the United States (US) enjoy an artificial comparative advantage in the international cotton markets due to huge subsidies and entitlements at the expense of the poor farmers in developing countries. This paper critically examines the eff...
Disciplining domestic support to agriculture remains an unfinished agenda in the WTO negotiations due to the different views and positions of members. Developing members have been consistently demanding an effective special and differential treatment (S&DT) for themselves, along with a substantial reduction in the trade-distorting support entitleme...
Developing members at the WTO are faced with shrinking policy space to support their agricultural sector owing to the restrictive provisions of the Amber Box. Contrastingly, most developed members are able to provide high levels of product-specific support without breaching their commitments, on account of their AMS entitlement. For some of these m...
With rising levels of food and livelihood insecurity among poor farmers, many developing members at the WTO are demanding special safeguard mechanism (SSM) for shielding their agriculture from import surges and price declines. Most of developing members do not have any trade instrument under the WTO to address it except by increasing the applied ta...
With almost all economic activities likely to remain at a low key in the coming months, the Covid-19pandemic could have a devastating impact on the livelihood and food security of millions of people across India. It is generally recognised that food stocks of 58 million tonnes with the FCI will be an important factor in helping the government avoid...
Indian agriculture is fraught with policies that are presently facing the gavel at the WTO. Sugarcane related policies, in particular, are being alleged to constitute domestic support beyond the permissible limit and for this reason, have been challenged by Australia, Brazil and Guatemala. The ground reality, however, contrasts this narrative. With...
Achieving food security remains a challenge for many low- and middle-income countries, including Indonesia. The aim of this study was to assess the policy space to implement food security policy in Indonesia under the World Trade Organization (WTO). The policy space for developing countries to implement administered prices for agricultural commodit...
The US has challenged the product-specific support to foodgrains by China in the WTO claiming that China has breached its commitments under WTO by providing more than US$100 billion as product-specific support to wheat, rice and corn in 2015. The main issue is the price support backed procurement of foodgrains for food security purposes. India too...
Developing countries have been demanding substantial reduction in trade distorting domestic support to agriculture given by the developed countries. On the other hand, under the existing rules of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) many developing countries lack policy space to implement price support measures to augment income of the farmers. Of la...
The interim solution to the problem of whether to allow public stockholding of food stocks for food security purposes in the World Trade Organization was arrived at during the Bali Ministerial Conference held in 2013 and subsequently by the General Council of the WTO in November 2014. However, the commitment to agree to a permanent solution by the...
In this chapter, product specific support to wheat in Egypt is calculated for the period 1995–96 to 2013–14. It also highlights the role of General Agency for the Supply of Commodities (GASC) in ensuring food security as well as achieving high agricultural growth. The results show that Egypt has crossed the maximum permissible limit under the WTO r...
This chapter focuses on various food security indicators and domestic support to agriculture sector in China. In this chapter, product specific support to wheat in China is calculated under different scenarios. China is providing price support to wheat by implementing minimum procurement price policy. The maximum applicable permissible limit to pro...
This chapter provides an analysis of product specific support to wheat in Turkey during 1995–2003. Like many other developing countries, Turkey also provides price support to producers of agricultural commodities. The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) TMO is protecting the interest of farmers by procuring grains at administered prices from producers who ar...
The chapter examines food security policy and product specific support to maize in Zimbabwe for the periods 2008–2009 to 2014–2015. The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) ensures national food security through production, procurement and management of Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR). Analysis this chapter shows that there is little or no policy space for Zi...
This chapter discusses and seeks to estimate product specific support to wheat in Morocco under WTO regime. ONCIL is a major player in the grain market and plays an important role in providing food security to millions of people in Morocco. In this chapter, product specific support to soft wheat is calculated by assuming eligible production as 100,...
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) plays an important role in food security of millions of people through procurement of foodgrains at minimum support price (MSP) and distributing it through public distribution system. Given the sensitivity of food security issue at the WTO and in India, this chapter seeks to provide an analysis of product specifi...
This chapter analyses the various provisions related to domestic support to agriculture sector under the WTO rules. It provides a snapshot of domestic support to agriculture sector in selected developing countries. This chapter also focuses on the relevant provisions of AoA which have implications for the policy space of selected countries in imple...
The government of Jordan has been subsidising the foodgrains to ensure food security for the poor people on the one hand and giving price support to protect farmers from price risk on the other hand. The main objective of this chapter is to do an analysis of product specific support to wheat in Jordan under Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Domestic...
The objective of this chapter is to critically examine the domestic support to agriculture sector in Tunisia. It also seeks to calculate product specific support to wheat during 1995–2009. The Cereals Office (Office Des Cereales) plays important role in providing food security to poor people in Tunisia by ensuring fair prices for both consumers and...
Food security policies in Pakistan aim at balancing the interest of producers by supporting farm income and ensuring price stability along with affordable prices of foodgrain to safeguard the interest of consumers. Provincial governments (Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan) and Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation Ltd (PASSCO) provide...
This chapter seeks to estimate product specific support to maize in Kenya for the period 1995–2008. It also critically examines the domestic support notifications submitted by Kenya to WTO. The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) ensure food security in Kenya by providing maize to consumers at affordable prices. Results show that product spec...
Food security policy in Indonesia is designed to fulfil basic human necessities which provide fair, equal and sustainable benefits based on the concepts of food resilience, self-sufficiency and food security. BULOG procures rice for the implementation of the RASKIN programme, a social safety net programme for poor and vulnerable sections of the soc...
This chapter seeks to provide an overview of product specific support to maize in Zambia during 2003–2004 to 2012–2013. On behalf of Government of Zambia, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) administers the strategic food reserves and buys maize from the local market at administered price to protect the interests of producers. After critical examination of r...
This chapter summarises the main findings of this book and discusses the way forward to solve the problems faced by the developing countries on account of rules of the WTO. China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe already face constraints in implementing food security policies due to the...
This chapter gives an overview of food security situation in selected developing countries. Various indicators of food insecurity in developing countries are discussed and analysed. It highlights the importance of agriculture sector and need for government intervention in the form of price support and public distribution policies to fight against h...
The USA has challenged the product specific support to foodgrains in China through the Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO and claimed that China has breached its commitments under the WTO by giving $100 billion in product specific support to wheat, rice and corn in 2015. The main issue in this dispute is the price support backed procurement of...
With 133.8 million people suffering from hunger in China, achieving food self-sufficiency and food security are primary goals of agricultural policy in China. To achieve these goals as well to support millions of low income or resource poor farmers, China is implementing Minimum Purchase Price (MPP) policy for grains through its state agencies. Bes...
The plethora of Regional Trade Agreements, especially in Asia, has created a complex web of noodle bowl, which has made trade more difficult. Many countries of Asia are now trying to be part of mega-free trade agreements (FTAs). While Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is consolidating through ASEAN+1 initiative leading to Regional Coop...
This article examines the economic impact of trade facilitation between Commonwealth country members, using a global computable general equilibrium framework. We document enormous economic impact, much higher than a complete tariff liberalisation amongst these countries. The economic impact is quite visible in terms of welfare, gross domestic produ...
Our purpose is to undertake a comparative analysis of the likely impact of tariff reduction under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on various macro and trade variables of the Indian economy under different scenarios. The TPP was concluded in October 2015, but it is yet to be ratified by the partner countries, and while Asian giants like India, C...
This book examines the public stockholding policies of selected developing countries from the perspective of WTO rules and assesses whether the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) could hamper these countries’ efforts to address the challenges of food security. Further, it highlights the need to amend the provisions of the AoA to make...
This chapter provides a snapshot of implications for the food security policies in developing countries under the WTO regime. It critically examines the various provisions of the AoA which are creating problems for developing countries in implementing the food security policy without breaching their commitments under the WTO. This chapter discusses...
This study has critically examined the issue of Cotton subsidies in USA as well made a comparative analysis of cotton sector between USA and India in the background of USA claim that African cotton producers’ plight was not due to the trade-distorting subsidies of USA but was on account of upward trend in cotton production in India and China in def...
The objective of this study is to make comparative analyses of likely impact of tariff reduction under Trans-Pacific Partnership on various macro and trade variables of Indian economy under different scenarios by using the standard GTAP model. Five different scenarios of complete integration in terms of tariff reduction between different regions ar...
This study has critically examined different aspects of Counter-Cyclical Payments (CCPs) in the context of commitment of United State of America (US) under the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and future obligations under recent Doha Round Negotiations. The study has highlighted the shortcomings in domestic support notifications of US to WTO and thei...
This paper has critically evaluated various agriculture modalities submitted under WTO's Doha Work Programme. It analyses how negotiating options in respect of different elements of the three pillars of agriculture negotiations in the WTO - domestic support, market access and export competition - have evolved in the Doha Round. The findings of this...
