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India 'open to talks' with China on toy ban
New Delhi (AFP) Feb 10, 2009 India said Tuesday it was open to talks with China over New Delhi's decision to ban Chinese toy imports but added Beijing was welcome to challenge the move before the WTO, a report said Tuesday. "We are open to discussing the matter with China," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said in the Indian capital, according to the United News of India news agency. Nath's comments came a day after China voiced "serious concern" over India's decision to impose a six-month ban on imports of toys, along with other measures, and said the moves threatened to strain trade relations. Nath said banning Chinese toys was fully compliant with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and that if China objected to the ban it could go to the WTO. The Indian government barred the import of Chinese toys from January 23, saying the move was taken on the grounds of public health and safety. China's toy industry has come under close scrutiny since millions of goods were recalled globally last year amid fears they were made with toxic lead paints or had design flaws. "Until the government of India is satisfied, the ban cannot be lifted," Nath said. India's toy industry, which employs two million people, has long protested about a flood of cheaper Chinese imports. Chinese products have grabbed 60 percent of India's toy market. A Chinese statement Monday urged India to take "cautious and prudent trade remedy measures" at a time when "the world economy faces grim challenges." Otherwise, "bilateral trade relations could be seriously impacted," it said. India has also recently restricted the import of steel, chemical and textile products from China, officials said. The dispute comes amid growing protectionist sentiment with various countries moving to protect domestic industries amid a global economic slowdown. India and other countries have expressed concern about the "Buy American" clause in a US economic package, warning it could start a global round of tit-for-tat trade reprisals and set a bad example for other countries mulling their own economic stimulus projects. Related Links Global Trade News
China expresses 'serious concern' over toy ban, other India moves
Beijing (AFP) Feb 9, 2009China on Monday voiced "serious concern" over India's decision to impose a ban on imports of toys and other measures and said the moves threaten to severely affect bilateral trade relations. |
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