Thailand, Indonesia raise WTO concerns over India’s QCOs on leather, textiles

Indonesia and Thailand have raised concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over India’s quality control orders (QCOs) on medical textiles, footwear, viscose staple fibre, and plywood. They also flagged measures that restrict imports of copper, wooden boards, and tyres during a WTO market access meeting. India’s QCOs, aimed at curbing substandard imports and promoting local manufacturing, require compliance with Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) licensing, and the application of standard marks. However, critics, including Canada, Japan, the UK, and the EU, have previously called these measures protectionist. Indonesia specifically highlighted QCOs on items like viscose rayon yarn and dyed knitted synthetic fabric. Thailand expressed concerns that some measures might unintentionally act as quantitative restrictions. India defended its actions, emphasizing that QCOs apply equally to domestic production and imports, aiming to enhance product quality and trade prospects. The country has already implemented restrictions on tyre imports and launched production-linked incentive schemes to boost local manufacturing in select sectors. New Delhi has expanded QCOs to cover various products, including toys, sports goods, and wooden furniture, as part of its strategy to strengthen domestic industries while addressing import quality concerns.