National   

India, France discuss trade issues

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Feb. 7. India and France today discussed market access issues, especially regarding seafood exports, and concerns over the anti-dumping actions against Indian textile products in the European Union. The issues were raised along with the need to expand bilateral trade at a meeting of two French Ministers — the Finance, Economy and Industry Minister, Francis Mer, and the Trade and Commerce Minister, Francois Loostwo — with the Commerce and Law Minister, Arun Jaitley.

After the meeting, Mr. Jaitley said they were also worried about India's project preference policy in favour of public sector companies and sought a reversal of this stance. While discussing bilateral trade, Mr. Jaitley took up market access issues, especially regarding Indian seafood exports to France. He also highlighted India's concern over the continued anti-dumping actions against Indian bed linen in the European Union as textile products have a large weightage in the export basket to the EU market.

Mr. Mer expressed concern over certain market access issues, particularly in the wine sector, where he sought further reduction in customs tariffs. Mr. Jaitley assured him that the tariff levels have been coming down.

Multilateral trade issues in the context of the ongoing WTO negotiations also figured in the discussions. The French Minister expressed disappointment that the U.S. had not joined the consensus on TRIPs and public health and hoped that the matter would be resolved soon.

According to an official release, the French Ministers said that their country recognised that poor countries must have access to medicines even while protecting patent rights. They said that negotiations in services, especially liberalisation of financial services, were very important for France as it accounted for 70 per cent of the country's GNP.

Both sides noted that the present level of bilateral trade, estimated at $ 1.71 billion in 2001-02 was way below the actual potential, notwithstanding the 16 per cent growth registered in the first seven months (April-October) of the current fiscal.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Pact signed for designing new anti-tank missile
• Putin briefs Vajpayee
• Raffarin, Vajpayee reject Bush stand on Iraq
• Hurriyat denies charges, seeks probe
• Amarinder threatens to file counter suit against Dhumal
• India, Russia to set up centres to produce defence spares
• `Contempt action will deter press'
• U.P. Govt. to abide by court verdict on Ayodhya dispute
• India, France discuss trade issues
• SC moved for transfer of `wealth case' outside T.N.
• We will cooperate with probe: Malik
• Combat UAVs, cheaper and deadlier
• SC rejects plea against ban on lotteries in T.N.
• Navy interested in Orion?
• Bhavani row: Tribunal issues notice to Kerala
• Approach HC for relief, SC tells `Nakkeeran' Gopal
• Expert to supervise content of electronic channels
• Bangladesh business delegation coming on Feb. 15
• Paswan seeks NIC meet on Ayodhya
• ICAR develops banana-based drink
• Multi-modal commuter system for Hyderabad?
• Centre refutes Sonia's allegation on Rajasthan's plight
• Media personality may head body on TV channels
• `Diary reveals details of funds for terrorists'

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu