Story perspectives

India presses WTO action on forced-labour goods tariffs

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Goyal Urges Forced-Labour Measures

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged trade measures on forced-labour goods using specific evidence and WTO due process.
India amended its Foreign Trade Policy in July 2026 to ban imports of goods produced with forced labour.
The United States imposed a 10 % tariff on Indian imports in July 2026 over forced-labour concerns.
Goyal called for preserving the Most-Favoured-Nation principle and restoring the WTO’s two-tier dispute-settlement system.

Summary

India-UK Boost Trade

India and the UK are negotiating to raise bilateral trade, which reached USD 13.44 billion in 2025-26, under CETA active since July 15.
Australia offers zero-duty access on all tariff lines, yet Indian exports to Australia were only USD 7.28 billion in 2025-26.
EFTA partners pledged USD 100 billion of investments in India over 15 years, covering 92.2% of tariff lines.
Only 20-30% of eligible Indian goods use FTA preferences, versus 60-70% for partner nations, per GTRI.

Summary

Greer Flags Food Weaponisation

Goyal stressed separating weaponised food-chain tactics from legitimate food-security measures at the G20 meeting in Milwaukee.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer listed four G20 work streams: food weaponisation, excess capacity, MFN, forced labour.
Greer warned that coercive food-trade actions could destabilise economies and harm people.
Greer said surplus production beyond domestic demand pressures foreign producers and workers.
Greer argued unconditional MFN limits economies’ ability to counter distortive policies.

History

Historical Context

Adopted by the International Labour Organization in 1930 and effective from 1 May 1932, the Forced Labour Convention—now ratified by 178 members—set a global anti-forced-labour norm later expanded by the 1957 Abolition Convention. India’s 2026 trade amendment, announced by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, invokes that legacy as G20 talks consider similar tariff provisions.

1 of 4

Goyal Urges Forced-Labour Measures

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged trade measures on forced-labour goods using specific evidence and WTO due process.
India amended its Foreign Trade Policy in July 2026 to ban imports of goods produced with forced labour.
The United States imposed a 10 % tariff on Indian imports in July 2026 over forced-labour concerns.
Goyal called for preserving the Most-Favoured-Nation principle and restoring the WTO’s two-tier dispute-settlement system.

1 / 4