The World Trade Organisation has adopted a new decision to make its Committee on Market Access (CMA) more outcome-driven, introducing a structured system to track the resolution of trade concerns raised by member countries.
Thirty-three trade concerns were raised at the two-day meeting of the CMA on March 16-17 of which six were related to India’s policies. These included import restrictions on pulses, tyres, pocket lighters, air conditioners and its quality control orders.
India, too, is party to concerns raised on seven issues against other members, including the EU’s controversial Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU Deforestation Regulation.
As part of the reform a new standing agenda item titled `reports on resolution of trade concerns’ will be included in all formal CMA meetings. This will allow members to update the committee on progress made in addressing previously raised issues before taking up new concerns.
“Under this new standing agenda item, members will be invited to report on previously raised trade concerns for which a resolution has been reached. Members may also inform the Secretariat at any time that a trade concern has been resolved. In these cases, and for transparency purposes, the Chairperson will report such resolution at the CMA’s following formal meeting,” per the decision adopted by the CMA on March 16.
Importantly, the decision clarifies that the absence of discussion on a trade concern in subsequent meetings will not imply that it has been resolved. Only explicit confirmation from the concerned members will determine its status.
The framework also preserves members’ legal rights. Even if a concern is recorded as resolved or partially resolved, countries remain free to raise the issue again in the CMA or other WTO bodies, or to pursue dispute settlement under the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Understanding.
To prevent concerns from falling into limbo, the Secretariat will conduct a review every two years of issues that have not been discussed for at least two consecutive years.
It will reach out to the members involved to ascertain their status and prepare a report for transparency.
Additionally, a new section will be included in the CMA’s annual report to the Council for Trade in Goods, providing an overview of the status of all trade concerns.
Published on March 20, 2026
