Geneva: Pakistan is in the process of granting the Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) status to India, said a WTO report. The step would help in boosting bilateral trade between the countries. "Pakistan is in the process of offering India NDMA. Under NDMA Pakistan is expected to reduce its sensitive lists to 100 tariff lines," the Trade Policy Review report of the WTO said.
NDMA is a nomenclature chosen by Pakistan to avoid political ramifications at home of giving India MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status. India granted the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 but Pakistan is yet to reciprocate to that. Grant of status to India would help in further boosting trade between the countries.
Pakistan is postponing grant of NDMA status due to lack of consensus at home.
In 2012, Pakistan had committed itself to give the MFN status but missed its own deadline of December 31, 2012 owing to domestic opposition.
The neighbouring country has to abolish the negative list of 1,209 tradable items. Abolition of the negative list items that cannot be imported from India would mean grant of NDMA status to India.
The bilateral trade between the countries stood at $2.7 billion in 2013-14.
India's main exports to Pakistan include sugar, man-made filaments and chemicals, while its imports comprise mineral fuels, among others.
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