NEW DELHI: The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) in India has requested that the Union Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, make it mandatory to label the country of origin on all imported goods and e-commerce products. This request comes after traders in Delhi protested against Chinese products amid border tensions between the two countries.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal emphasized the need for this labeling, stating that currently, there is often no information available about the origins of products, particularly on e-commerce sites. This lack of labeling can lead to unintentional purchases of Chinese products, and mandating the inclusion of the country of origin could allow for a boycott of these products, he explained.
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Goyal also called for changes to the e-commerce and import policy. He pointed out that China has benefited financially from the Indian market and is using this against India, stating that it is necessary to "break the economic back of China."
He cited data showing that bilateral trade between the two countries reached $103.63 billion in the first nine months of the year, with a domestic trade deficit of $75.69 billion and exports from China to India totaling $89.66 billion. In contrast, exports from India to China were only $13.97 billion, with a 36.4% decline. Goyal suggested that a boycott of Chinese goods by Indian businesses and consumers could encourage China to change its actions.
The CTI's request to label the country of origin on imported goods and e-commerce products is meant to increase transparency and give consumers the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. It is hoped that this will also support domestic businesses and reduce the country's reliance on foreign imports.
(With ANI inputs)
