The United States has requested WTO consultations with India concerning alleged export subsidies provided by India through five programmes. The request was circulated to WTO members on 19 March.

The United States claims the measures appear to be inconsistent with Article 3.1(a) of the WTO’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement), and that India appears to have acted inconsistently with Article 3.2 of the SCM Agreement.

Further information is available in document WT/DS541/1

What is a request for consultations?

The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.

Source:wto.org