Trade Policy Instruments
Tariffs, Quantitative Restrictions, and Non-Tariff Barriers
India's trade policy uses multiple instruments to regulate imports: tariffs (ad valorem and specific), quantitative restrictions (QRs, largely eliminated post-WTO accession but some remain for health/security), non-tariff barriers (SPS measures, technical barriers), and trade remedies (anti-dumping duties under Section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975; countervailing duties under Section 9; safeguard duties under Section 8B). The Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 provides the statutory framework for trade regulation, empowering the Central Government to make provisions for development and regulation of foreign trade.
- India eliminated most QRs by April 2001 following WTO Dispute Settlement ruling (DS90: India -- Quantitative Restrictions on Imports, 1999)
- Anti-dumping investigations conducted by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce
- Safeguard duties are temporary measures (maximum 4 years, extendable to 8 years) against import surges causing serious injury to domestic industry
- SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) measures under the WTO SPS Agreement: India's food safety standards set by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, established under the FSS Act, 2006)
- Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT): Indian standards set by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS Act, 2016)
- India's "sensitive list" approach in FTAs: excluding approximately 400-600 tariff lines (typically agricultural and dairy products) from tariff reduction commitments
● Tracked since February 08, 2026 · last seen March 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes