CONTEXT The Atmanirbhar Bharat programme and the Budget 2021-22 have set the tone to bolster supply chains and achieve self-reliance.

Realising this vision of a self-reliant India would entail localising an increasing share of value added along supply chains through investments and phase-wise reduction of import tariffs with strategic partners such as the European Union (EU).

EXPORT POTENTIAL OF INDIA

• India has an untapped export potential of $39.9 billion in the EU and Western Europe.
• The top products with export potential include apparel, gems and jewellery, chemicals, machinery, automobile, pharmaceuticals and plastic.
• Also, India benefits from tariff preferences under the EU’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for several of these products, such that India is among the major beneficiaries of the EU’s GSP, with exports accounting for nearly 37% of India’s merchandise exports to the EU.

CONCERNS

• there are several products where India has export potential in the EU, but these have “graduated” or are at the brink of “graduation” under EU-GSP.
• (Product graduation applies when average imports of a product from a beneficiary country exceed 17.5% of EU-GSP imports of the same product from all beneficiary countries over three years.)
• India’s exports of products such as textiles, inorganic and organic chemicals, gems and jewellery, iron, steel and their articles, base metals and automotives are already out of the ambit of EU-GSP benefits.
• There is also a likelihood of losing EU-GSP benefits in other categories such as apparel, rubber, electronic items, sports goods and toys due to product graduation.
• In apparel, out of total India’s exports to the EU in 2019, 94% was under EU­-GSP. This is indicative of the impact that the graduation may have on apparel exports.
• Meanwhile, India’s competitors in apparel exports such as Bangladesh would continue to receive tariff benefits in the EU under Everything but Arms Initiative.
• Another competitor, Vietnam, has concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU in 2019.
• Thus, in light of the declining preferential access and the plausible erosion of competitiveness in the EU market, there is clearly a need to deepen trade and investment ties with the region.

 TAKING CUE FROM PAST EXPERIENCES

• India’s negotiation for a Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement, which commenced in 2007, is yet to be materialised due to lack of concurrence in areas like automotives and dairy and marine products.
• A thorough assessment of the benefits from FTA for domestic producers is warranted, considering India’s  past experience of an unequal exchange of benefits in several FTAs signed by it.
• India needs to consider the impact on sensitive sectors, and possibility of inclusion of safeguards such as sunset clauses on concessions for some items.
• there should also be provisions for aspects such as investment and non-tariff measures (NTMs).
• India also needs to negotiate on investment-related aspects with the EU to enhance bilateral investments and foster stronger value chains, especially in technology-intensive sectors in which the EU has a comparative advantage.

Post-Brexit EU finds itself in the midst of a growing need for recalibrating ties with its partner countries. In such times forging stronger ties with the region through a mutually beneficial agreement could help strengthen Indian manufacturing and revitalise the failing exports.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/recalibrating-relations-with-eu/article33974083.ece