India firm on food safety, animal protection
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New Delhi: India has issued over 300 notifications since January 2020 to promote food safety, protect animals and plant health, and maintain the quality of products in the markets, according to the Commerce Ministry data.
These notifications are issued under Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Both are allowed under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.
TBT and SPS are non-tariff measures (NTMs). SPS is used by countries to set out basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health requirements.
On the other hand, TBT deals with voluntary and mandatory standards and procedures to maintain the quality of products in the markets. When these regulations impose an unnecessary burden on trade, then they become non-tariff barriers (NTBs).
