Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Goyal Urges Evidence-Based Trade Measures Against Forced Labour
Piyush Goyal spoke about forced labour and trade at a G20 meeting.
He said India strongly opposes forced labour.
However, he said countries should not block goods based only on guesses.
They should use specific and checkable evidence.
He also said trade actions must follow World Trade Organization rules.
India supports countries sharing ideas voluntarily to address forced labour in supply chains.
Goyal warned that sharing information should not become a way to monitor countries or justify one-sided trade penalties.
He also said industrial capacity is not automatically a problem, but hidden subsidies can distort trade.
Finally, he said developing countries should still have room to build their industries.
Piyush Goyal urged countries to support forced-labour trade measures with specific, verifiable evidence.
He warned against actions based on assumptions about entire countries, regions or industries.
India said it supports voluntary G20 exchanges but opposes monitoring systems and unilateral trade measures.
Goyal called for excess-capacity concerns to be addressed through evidence-based, WTO-compatible remedies.
He said developing countries need policy space for industrialisation and supported supply-chain diversification within WTO rules.
- Who
- Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal represented India.
- What
- He called for evidence-based measures against goods allegedly made with forced labour and discussed industrial capacity and trade distortions.
- When
- At the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting on October 2; the article also says India amended its Foreign Trade Policy in July 2026.
- Where
- Milwaukee.
- Why
- To ensure trade measures follow due process, comply with World Trade Organization rules and avoid unjustified trade distortions.
- Speaker
- Piyush Goyal, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister
- Meeting
- G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting
- Location
- Milwaukee
- Forced-labour standard
- Trade measures should be based on specific and verifiable evidence
- International framework
- India called for due process and compliance with World Trade Organization rules
- Indian legal position
- Article 23 of the Indian Constitution prohibits forced labour
- Policy change
- India amended its Foreign Trade Policy in July 2026 to prohibit imports of goods produced using forced labour