WTO appellate body’s ruling in mid-september

INDIA, US SOLAR CASE

THE APPELLATE body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to give its verdict on an appeal by India in its solar mission dispute with the US by September, a senior government official said.

India had in April appealed against a WTO panel's ruling that the country's power purchase agreements with solar firms are inconsistent with international norms.

The appellate body can uphold, modify or reverse legal findings and conclusions of a panel and its reports. If the body's ruling goes against India, the country will have to comply with the order in six-seven months.

The US had won a ruling against India at the WTO in February after challenging the rules on the origin of solar cells and solar modules used in India’s national solar power programme.

Such a move prompted India to point at violations of some of the WTO provisions by the US in the latter's own renewable energy sector. India also decided to file 16 cases against the US at the WTO, as certain US programmes in the renewable energy sector are "inconsistent" with the WTO norms.

The appellate body is a standing body of seven persons. It listens to the appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes involving WTO members.

The US had dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on this issue in 2014, alleging that the clause relating to domestic content requirement in the country's solar power mission was discriminatory in nature and "nullified" benefits accruing to the American solar power developers.

India is also working on about dozen cases against the US for giving protection to solar panel producers in violation of WTO norms.

On the India-us poultry case, the official said, India is seeking a desktop video conferencing (DVC) with America. FE & PTI