India has succeeded in getting several of its concerns in agriculture, industrial goods and services addressed in the ministerial text agreed to by the WTO.

In addition to an end-date for elimination of export subsidies, the text includes a provision for developing countries to declare an appropriate number of special products on a self-selection basis, price and quantity trigger to enforce special safeguards against a sudden increase in imports and flexibilities to undertake lower tariff reductions in industrial goods.

India has also managed to gain a significant concession for developing countries like itself whose level of domestic support in agriculture is far below the limit allowed by the WTO. According to the ministerial declaration, India will not have to undertake any cuts in its domestic support in this round.

( www.business-standard.com)