India's 8th Trade Policy Review at WTO Scheduled on 21 and 23 July 2026

📌 Summary:

• India's 8th Trade Policy Review (TPR) at the WTO is scheduled for 21 and 23 July 2026; the delegation is headed by Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agarwal

• TPR is conducted on the basis of two documents — a policy statement by the Member under review (Government Report) and an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, circulated to all Members

• Review frequency depends on a Member's share of world trade; India is reviewed once every five years. The 8th TPR covers 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025

• Preparation began in June 2025 — a fourteen-month process in which the Department of Commerce consulted over 100 Ministries, Departments and Organisations

• Performance highlighted: strong post-pandemic rebound, fastest-growing among major economies; total merchandise + services exports touched an all-time high of US$ 863.1 billion in 2025-26, up 6.3% over US$ 676.5 billion in 2021-22

• Achievements flagged in both reports: engagement through Free Trade Agreements, GST rationalisation and simplification, and digital initiatives such as UPI and digital trade-facilitation tools

• As on 20 July 2026, WTO Members had submitted over 900 written questions to India — on digitisation, MSMEs, women's participation in the economy, Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan; over 40 Members are expected to deliver statements

• TPR is a core transparency mechanism of the WTO: a peer review of border and behind-the-border measures conducted by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), which comprises the entire WTO membership

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (International Relations — global groupings and agreements) and GS3 (Indian Economy — trade policy). TPR is the WTO's principal surveillance mechanism; questions on India's trade policy transparency, FTAs and export performance are commonly framed around it.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• India's TPRs are held once every 5 years; frequency across Members is determined by share in world trade

• Conducted by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) = entire WTO membership

• Two base documents: Government Report + WTO Secretariat Report

• India's total exports (goods + services) 2025-26: US$ 863.1 billion (vs US$ 676.5 bn in 2021-22)

• Over 900 written questions received from Members; 40+ Members to make statements

🔑 Key Term: Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) — a WTO transparency instrument under which each Member's full range of trade and trade-related policies is periodically peer-reviewed by all other Members; it is a surveillance exercise, not a dispute-settlement or enforcement process.