New Trade Policy likely to provide relief to exporters: Nath

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) The government today said the New Trade Policy (NTP), to be announced in the first week of April, will look at providing relief to exporters, especially in the high employment generating sector.

Indian exporters have been hit by the hardening of the rupee against the dollar and Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today said he would look to give relief to exporters in the new trade policy and ''give a priority thrust to certain sector and the measures will be compatible with the WTO norms and also look to address the issues of levies not being refunded.'' Mr Nath clarified that the NTP will not have a hedging mechanism, as in the long run it is neither sustainable nor credible.

The Minister said the exports will be to the tune of 152-155 billion dollars falling short of its target of 160-billion-dollar and will show an increase of 20 per cent for this fiscal over the previous year.

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