A trade policy agenda for India-II (Rajeev Kher, South Asia Monitor)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was signed early this year. No one has asked India to join the TPP nor are we in a position to do so. Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is the other mega region in the making between the US and EU. While the former focuses on high standards, the latter aims at regulatory coherence. Between the two, they cover more than 60 per cent of world trade. Major economies such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa are not part of these agreements. In the long run, no major economy can remain uninfluenced by them because the discriminatory rules regime will have consequences on trade with even non-member economies.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=eco&nid=16673

A trade policy agenda for India - I (Rajeev Kher, South Asia Monitor)

These are difficult days for trade policymakers. The global economic scenario stays insipid, significantly impacting the trade environment. Despite a steep decline in oil and commodity prices, manufacturing has remained tepid. India has lost its manufacturing competitiveness in several product areas and the fact that efficiency in delivery of services can lead to manufacturing competitiveness seems to have missed the adequate attention of policymakers.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=eco&nid=16655