Piyush Goyal calls for WTO-compliant measures to address global trade distortions at G20 meet

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Friday called for measures to address global trade distortions to remain consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, warning against using supply-chain diversification as a pretext for measures that fall outside the multilateral trade framework.

Speaking at the concluding day of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Goyal said India does not have structural excess capacity in the sectors identified by the G20 presidency, and that its manufacturing capacity serves both domestic and global demand, according to a commerce ministry statement.

“Trade-distorting support in some economies can lead to dumping and predatory pricing,” the statement quoted Goyal as saying. He said such concerns can be addressed through WTO-consistent instruments, including anti-dumping and countervailing duties, based on evidence and subject to judicial review.

Goyal said industrial capacity itself was not the issue, but distortions could arise when geographical concentration of production is driven by hidden subsidies and other forms of support.

“Diversification of production and supply chains is a legitimate objective, but cannot be used as a pretext for measures outside WTO rules or for shifting the burden of adjustment onto developing countries,” he said, stressing the need to preserve policy space for developing economies to industrialize.

On MFN principle

On the WTO's Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle, Goyal said India's trade with G20 members depends on a transparent, non-discriminatory and rules-based trading system. He described MFN treatment as a key guarantee of the system and said consensus-based decision-making must remain central to the WTO.

He also called for preserving special and differential treatment for developing countries and restoring the WTO's two-tier dispute settlement system.

On forced labour in global supply chains, Goyal said India's commitment to eliminating forced labour was “absolute and unconditional”. He cited Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits forced labour, and said India has ratified International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 29 and 105.

India also amended its Foreign Trade Policy in July 2026 to prohibit imports of goods produced using forced labour, he said.

At the G20 meeting, Goyal said border measures aimed at addressing forced labour should be based on specific and verifiable evidence rather than presumptions about entire countries, regions or sectors. Such measures, he added, should respect due process and WTO rules.

He said the ILO is the competent universal and tripartite body for labour standards and backed voluntary exchange of good practices among G20 members, provided such cooperation does not involve monitoring of members, create new obligations or lead to information being used as a basis for unilateral trade action.

Goyal said India participated in the G20 meeting with a “constructive” approach across the four themes discussed—structural excess capacity and production, the MFN principle, forced labour in global supply chains and the closing session.

He reaffirmed India's support for a rules-based, fair, equitable, non-discriminatory, transparent, open, inclusive and multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Goyal held bilateral discussions with trade ministers from Australia, Saudi Arabia, France, South Korea and Canada, according to the statement.

About the Author

Harsh Kumar is a policy reporter at Mint (HT Media Group), where he covers the Ministry of Commerce and Industry along with key departments of the Ministry of Finance, including the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS). With over five years of experience in business and economic journalism, he has developed strong expertise in tracking policy developments and their wider economic impact.<br><br>He has previously worked with Business Standard, Moneycontrol, and Outlook Money, where he reported extensively on banking, financial services, and the broader economy. Over the years, he has built a reputation for delivering accurate, insightful, and impactful stories, supported by a keen eye for detail and a consistent track record of breaking exclusive news.<br><br>An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, Harsh closely follows regulatory changes and key economic trends shaping India’s financial and industrial landscape. His reporting aims to simplify complex policy issues for a wider audience while maintaining depth and credibility.<br><br>Outside of work, he enjoys tracking policy developments, finding scoops, and travelling, reflecting his curiosity about how economic decisions shape everyday life.

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