Export promotion of perishable goods enabled a refrigerated sea route to Europe, reducing transport costs and expanding hinterland exports.
A government supported pilot established a refrigerated multimodal supply chain for exporting North Indian mangoes to Europe, coordinated by APEDA and state mandi authorities after a Reverse Buyer Seller Meet. The trial used refrigerated road transport to port and sea carriage to extend shelf life and reduce per kilogram transport costs versus airfreight, showcasing logistical and post harvest techniques to overcome cold chain constraints and expand export access for hinterland producers.

Special Economic Zones approvals for agro and food processing confirm notified statuses and operational roll-out across states.
Seven Special Economic Zones for the Agro and Food Processing sector have been approved; six are notified and three are operational. State-wise revenue for SEZ-based Food and Agro Industry units is reported for three years, and units are stated to comply with applicable safety standards. An annexure lists each SEZ with developer, location, sector type and status.

Retaliatory tariffs deployed after national security based import duties triggered targeted additional duties on specified US imports.
Imposition of additional import duties under national-security tariff authority prompted India to deploy retaliatory tariffs on twenty-eight specified product lines from the United States via a customs notification effective mid June 2019, implemented after bilateral trade dialogue failed to secure withdrawal of the earlier duties and intended to increase duty incidence on those imports.

Procedural ban on marine exports: European Union has not imposed export restrictions on Indian marine products, government confirms.
No procedural ban on export of marine products from India has been imposed by the European Union; government written reply confirms the EU has not placed procedural restrictions, while data show the EU as the third largest destination for Indian marine products by export value.

Export incentive schemes extend MEIS and interest equalization to perfume exports, while export infrastructure aid lacks proposals.
The Government made perfume exports eligible for incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and included the sector in the Interest Equalization Scheme for rupee export credit, aiming to lower export costs and support labour intensive/MSME exporters. Separately, the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme was launched to finance export infrastructure, but no proposals have been received under TIES for perfume manufacture and export at Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh.

Import duty on natural rubber stays at bound WTO level, with port and licensing restrictions limiting imports.
The Government set applied import duties for dry forms of natural rubber at the WTO-bound level, constrained further increases, imposed port-entry restrictions for natural rubber imports, and shortened the advance licensing utilization period; natural rubber lacks an official Minimum Support Price and no Rubber Stabilisation Fund scheme exists, while subsidy applications exceeded available funds and will be considered when funds are released.

Special Economic Zone establishment requires state consent before approval, and SEZ domestic removals attract import-equivalent customs duties.
SEZs may be established by the Central Government, State Governments or persons for manufacture, services or as Free Trade and Warehousing Zones, but proposals are considered by the Board of Approval only after written consent of the concerned State Government. Goods removed from SEZs to the Domestic Tariff Area are chargeable to customs duties equivalent to those on importation, including anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties where applicable; the document also provides year-wise duty receipts and a States/UTs breakdown of approved, notified and operational SEZs.

National e Commerce policy consultation advances as draft released and stakeholder comments inform regulatory framework for retail sector.
National Retail Trade Policy formulation proceeded through comprehensive stakeholder consultations with trade associations and industry, including high-level video conferences and meetings to address small trader and retailer concerns. National e Commerce policy work was led by a Departmental Think Tank and Task Force with technical sub-groups; a draft was published for public comment and meetings with e commerce companies and retail associations were held to gather stakeholder feedback for the regulatory framework.

Tea Development and Promotion Scheme clarifies assistance focus and confirms no loan provision while region-wise export data maintained.
Tea Development and Promotion Scheme provides financial assistance for production, productivity and welfare of tea garden workers but contains no provision for extending loans to tea industry or tea growers. Due to pre-export blending obscuring State-origin, the Tea Board does not maintain State-wise export shares and instead publishes region-wise export statistics based on ports, with 2018-19 region-wise quantity, value and unit price reported.

Import regulation: customs can suspend release of suspected infringing imports under IPR enforcement to target counterfeit goods.
Import regulation designates most tariff lines as free while a limited number are restricted and require licences; imports are subject to the same domestic laws, standards and safety norms as domestic goods. Border IPR enforcement follows the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules and related notifications, enabling right holders to seek suspension of release of suspected infringing imports and allowing Customs-via the ARTS module integrated with risk management-to target counterfeit and pirated goods.

Phytosanitary protocol secures tobacco exports by linking export certification to importer quarantine permits and inspection compliance.
A Phytosanitary Protocol between India's Ministry of Agriculture and China's customs authority conditions export of cured and re-dried FCV tobacco from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on compliance with Chinese phytosanitary laws, secure airproof packaging, and import quarantine permits obtained before contracts are signed. The Ministry will monitor for tobacco blue mold, conduct export quarantine inspections, and issue Phytosanitary Certificates under IPPC standards for consignments meeting the Protocol's requirements.

Agriculture Export Policy directs new export promotion measures and freight assistance to boost agricultural export competitiveness.
All Agri Export Zones have completed their five-year spans and are no longer functional; agricultural export promotion is now pursued through the Agriculture Export Policy and supporting central schemes, including a Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme to mitigate international freight disadvantage. Departmental schemes such as Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiatives, and Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, together with sectoral export-promotion bodies, provide additional assistance. Product-wise export statistics for a recent three-year period are published, while state-wise export data is not released by central trade statistics.

Financial inclusion and regulatory reform to attract UK investment and advance India UK cooperation in infrastructure and technology.
India seeks deeper UK partnership focused on inclusion, investment and innovation. Financial inclusion via digitisation and expanded banking is presented as foundational, while regulatory reform and sovereign bonds are described as mechanisms for an orderly opening. Sectoral investment priorities include housing, smart cities, transport, utilities, telecom, logistics and clean energy. UK technological capability combined with Indian manufacturing and skills is proposed to achieve cost-competitive solutions and boost exports. Reforms such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and a common Goods and Services Tax aim to improve ease of doing business and attract institutional investment.

Trade Partnership expanded to address non tariff barriers and deepen services and investment cooperation between India and UK.
The Joint Statement commits to deepen the India UK Trade Partnership by expanding the Joint Working Group on Trade to address chemicals and services, tackling non tariff barriers across sectoral workstreams (food and drink, ICT, life sciences), and reinforcing cooperation in multilateral fora and the WTO. It records implementation of memoranda of understanding in agriculture, telecoms/ICT, intellectual property and law and justice, and affirms measures to facilitate investment, support start ups, enhance SME access, and coordinate on ease of doing business and skills based mobility.

Trade balance: overall trade deficit estimated to widen for April-June due to merchandise weakness despite services surplus.
Combined merchandise and services trade for April-June 2019-20 shows modest dollar term growth in both exports and imports, while merchandise exports contracted in June and declined slightly for the quarter. Oil imports fell in June but were marginally higher for the quarter, non oil and non oil/non gold imports declined, and services exports and imports rose in the latest reported month. The overall provisional trade deficit for the quarter is larger than the prior year's, with June services figures noted as estimates pending RBI revision.

Export performance: merchandise exports fell amid base effects and global slowdown, while services exports rose and policy action was initiated.
India's June 2019 trade data show a marginal overall export decline driven by a notable fall in merchandise exports across petroleum products, rice, textiles, gems and jewellery, chemicals and engineering goods, while services exports grew strongly. The downturn is largely attributed to a base effect from an unusually strong June 2018, global trade slowdown and commodity price declines, and operational disruptions in domestic refining and petrochemical plants. The Department of Commerce is implementing export promotion engagement with export promotion councils and targeted initiatives to address constraints and seize opportunities arising from major power trade tensions.

Export credit support measures aim to boost MSME exports through interest equalisation and priority sector adjustments.
Decline in export credit prompted measures to boost MSME exporter financing: raising the Interest Equalisation Scheme rate and including merchant exporters for pre- and post-shipment rupee credit; GST facilitation via Letters of Undertaking without bank guarantees and nominal GST on domestic procurement by merchant exporters; expedited provisional GST refunds; and reduced export credit insurance premiums. Revised Priority Sector Lending norms are under consideration to release additional export credit, while the central bank opposes earmarking foreign exchange reserves for export credit.

Export restriction policy: processed and organic agricultural products exempted, essential commodities restricted only under extreme price situations.
Policy sets criteria for export/import bans focused on domestic availability, food security, price and diplomatic considerations; no major bans were imposed in the prior three years. The Agriculture Export Policy assures that processed and organic products will not face export restrictions, requires high level committee review for restrictions on identified essential commodities under extreme price situations with WTO compatibility, and endorses liberalised imports for value addition and re export.

Representation in WTO disputes: rotational empanelment of specialised law firms with think-tank consultation and occasional international assistance.
Selection of external counsel for WTO disputes is managed by the Department of Commerce through empanelment of law firms based on international trade and WTO expertise, applying a rotational engagement policy and consulting specialised think tanks. Department of Economic Affairs coordinates ISDS cases while line ministries handle individual matters. India's active WTO disputes are largely handled by domestic firms; international legal assistance was used in one instance, and the Department of Commerce reports no ISDS cases pending with it.

Trade deficit marginally widened as exports and imports grew, with electronic and chemical exports showing strong increases.
Trade deficit marginally widened in May 2019 as exports grew 3.63% and imports grew 3.27%, increasing the deficit from USD 14.97 billion to USD 15.36 billion, based on DGCI&S statistics; Electronic Goods and Organic & Inorganic Chemical exports showed strong year on year increases.