RCEP and India’s Current Concerns
✓India currently faces a demand to eliminate duties on 92% of its products and perhaps keep very low duties on another 7%, covering a total of 99% of all its agricultural and industrial products.
✓What is troubling the government is the fact that other RCEP countries have so far been lukewarm to India’s demands for greater market access in services, particularly on easing
norms on the movement of professionals and skilled workers across borders for short-term work.
✓India has said no to e-commerce negotiations at the WTO and any difference in its stance at the RCEP is likely to have repercussions.
✓RCEP has been criticized by global and Indian health activists for potentially forcing India to end its cheap supply of drugs, specially related to HIV/AIDS to developing countries,especially Africa.
✓In 2017 MEA has taken a strong stand that the country should restrain itself from concluding any such pact from which it would not gain in the medium term.