India Concludes Eighth Trade Policy Review at WTO in Geneva

📌 Summary:

• India concluded the second and final session of its Eighth Trade Policy Review (TPR) at the WTO, Geneva (sessions held 21 and 23 July 2026)
• The TPR is the WTO's key transparency and monitoring mechanism under which members' trade policies are periodically examined
• India's delegation was led by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal; India received 1,094 written questions from 44 members, and 68 members intervened during the review
• India defended its agricultural tariff structure (protecting millions of small, low-income farmers) and industrial tariffs (supply-chain resilience, diversification, domestic manufacturing)
• Members praised India's Digital Public Infrastructure, customs/trade-facilitation modernisation, MSME integration and startups, and welcomed India's acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• India reiterated that WTO reform must remain development-oriented and preserve policy space for developing countries; it applies the Lesser Duty Rule in its anti-dumping framework

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 International Relations & GS3 Economy — the multilateral trading system, WTO transparency mechanisms, and India's tariff and FTA strategy.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• TPR = Trade Policy Review; this was India's Eighth; WTO is headquartered in Geneva
• India received 1,094 written questions from 44 members; 68 members intervened
• India accepted the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies; applies the Lesser Duty Rule in anti-dumping

🔑 Key Term: Trade Policy Review (TPR) — a periodic peer review of a WTO member's trade and related policies to enhance transparency and rule adherence.