Developing countries, led by Brazil, were ready for a routine, two-year extension but resisted making the duty waiver permanent. But current WTO rules classify such support as excessive and, hence, trade-distorting. Since WTO rules cap support at 10%, India is shown as breaching limits even when actual support is modest. Let us recall that the WTO was built on a ‘grand bargain’, balancing the interests of both developed and developing countries. But Washington has turned defensive, arguing that WTO rules now favour production-heavy economies like China and others.

Source: The Telegraph April 03, 2026 00:46 UTC