The present import tariff is 50% which is also the Bound rate of Duty agreed in GATT/WTO. The scope for further increase in tariff rates without further negotiation under the WTO regime seems unlikely at present.

Details of top four countries exporting apple into India are as under:

Quantity in MT, Value in Rs. lakh

S. No	Country	2011-12		2012-13		2013-14
		Quantity	Value	Quantity	Value	Quantity	Value
1.	CHILE	26342.7	11879.44	22,212.01	12,937.80	15,999.95	10,231.65
2.	CHINA	72662.2	33843.94	78,369.55	40,408.61	88,014.98	54,787.40
3.	NEW ZEALAND	11906.23	6385.61	18,498.44	11,561.26	14,825.38	10,685.19
4.	U S A	68809.35	36499.36	70,129.21	44,924.56	49,050.53	37,700.99

Source: APEDA

The Ministerial mandate of the Doha Round recognized that developing countries should have the right to select, through self-designation, an appropriate number of agricultural tariff lines as Special Products (SPs) in the interest of their food security, livelihood security and rural development needs. Such SPs would either undergo no reductions in import duties or would have to undergo lower reductions in import duties than would be applicable to other agricultural products.

These provisions will, however, come into effect after an agreement is reached and the Doha Round is concluded.  However, inclusion of apple as a Special Product will be considered as and when this Department takes up the exercise of identifying Special Products on conclusion of the Doha Round.

The information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Special Products designation may protect apple tariffs, but such protection applies only after a concluded Doha agreement. Import tariff on apples is constrained by the existing bound rate under WTO commitments, making unilateral increases unlikely; the Doha mandate permits developing countries to self-designate Special Products for protection of food and livelihood security, but such treatment takes effect only after a concluded agreement, and apple will be considered for designation once the Department undertakes the post-Doha identification exercise.