CIABC welcomes INDIA-EU FAT
The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) lauds the Indian Government on this historic Trade Agreement with the EU. A number of key concerns raised by the domestic Alcobev Industry seems to have been addressed though the domestic wine industry was hoping for a higher MIP (Minimum Import Price) threshold of 3.0 — 3.5 Euros than the 2.5 Euros been agreed upon.
“The Indian Government has done commendable work in finalising the India-EU FTA deal which will prove to be beneficial for both the trading partners. Our Government has had to do a fine balancing act between demands from domestic industry across sectors and the EU. Many industry sectors and services (IT, ITES) will benefit tremendously from this FTA and overall, the FTA will be beneficial for our economy,” said, CIABC DG Anant S Iyer.
“While we wait for further details and the fine print, we hope that the Indian Government addresses our concerns relating to dumping of cheaper products by eliminating the possibility of undervalued import prices and check under-invoicing and strictly adhere to ‘Rules of Origin’ clause so that they are not misused for re-routing a third country’s product. We also seek reciprocity and removal of Non-Tariff Barriers on Indian Spirits by the EU,” Iyer added.
“The Indian industry has been urging the Centre to allow level-playing field. While regulatory authorities in Indian States are flexible in implementing local laws to accommodate entry of imported beverages, there should be reciprocity in according to similar flexibility by allowing Indian alcoholic beverages access to EU markets,” Iyer added.
