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India’s edible oil imports from Nepal: Policy implications of current tariffs and free trade agreements

Sep 17th, 2023 • by ABUL KAMAR, DEVESH ROY, AND SHAHIDUR RASHID

India’s import demand for edible oils has been significant over the past decade, with imports averaging $11.6 billion annually. In 2021, prior to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India imported a staggering $17.1 billion of edible oils (Figure 1), dominated by palm oil ($9.6 billion), soybean oil ($4.8 billion), and sunflower/safflower oils ($2.4 billion).

Food Price Index Declined in August, While Rice Prices Spiked

Sep 9th, 2023 • by S. Gustafson

The FAO Food Price Index fell by around 2 percent in August, driven by declines in cereal, vegetable oil, dairy, and meat indices. This decline placed the Index 24 percent below the peak seen in March 2022. The major exception was rice prices, which saw a significant increase in August.

Global trade tensions fueled by rising government subsidies risk undermining efforts to fight poverty

Sep 6th, 2023 • by Jose Sigornet

We are witnessing important setbacks in the open, international trade system that has driven prosperity around the world and lifted billions of people out of poverty in developing countries. Geopolitical tensions, on the heels of earlier trade wars—and accentuated by shocks such as the pandemic, disruptions in supply chains, and climate events—are heightening the risk of economic fragmentation.

Advancing agricultural trade reforms: Latin American contributions to the multilateral trading system

Aug 9th, 2023 • by GLORIA ABRAHAM PERALTA, ADRIANA CAMPOS, VALERIA PIÑEIRO, AND ELSA OLIVETTI

Multilateral trade negotiations over agriculture present a complex set of challenges: Finding a balance between the diverse interests and positions of the 164 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is exceedingly difficult due to the importance and varied sensitivities of this sector across countries. Those with significant agrifood exports want new market opportunities and thus promote greater trade liberalization; other members, generally importers, prefer to focus on increasing domestic production and protecting their domestic markets.