EU raps G-20 emerging economics protectionist policies

摘要

The 27-member European Union (EU) has lamented that there was no let-up in the protectionist policies of its major trading partners including India during the economic crisis over the last 18 months. This is despite the pronouncements and posturing to the contrary by the G-20 members, both developed and emerging economies. In a recent report covering the EU's 30 main trading partners over the period October 2008 to April 2010, the Brussels-based European Commission's Directorate General of Trade Contends that as many as 280 trade restrictive measures have been put in place by its major trade partners during the economic crisis. The protectionist measures range from classical trade measures such as import bans or tariff increases to "buy national" and other behind-the-border measures. It deplored that many of the new barriers were rapidly becoming permanent features of the global trading system. Stating that very measures introduced since the advent of the monitoring exercise by the EU have actually been removed, the report said the steady overall spurt of protectionist measures linked to a very low level of removal of extant restrictions shows "a clear risk of entrenchment and institutionalisation of trade-restrictive measures in the post-crisis period". It said such a "quiet proliferation of trade barriers poses an important systemic challenge, notably for the EU, which is large player in world trade and whose recovery remains heavily dependent on external demand". Pointing out that between November 2009 and April 2010,73 further trade restrictive measures were put in place, bringing the total figure of measures in force to 278, the EU said a "striking fact is that only around 18 measures have been withdrawan or expired between November 2009 and April 2010". On India, a G-20 member, it said New Delhi has put in place as many as 13 potentially trade restictive measure, behind China at 19, in areas such as textiles and clothing, toys, agri food, steel, other metals, automotive and others.