Business · Trade · 2 hrs ago
Sitharaman says China’s trade barriers hinder closer ties with India
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says China’s trade barriers are hindering closer ties.
Speaking in Bangkok, she said Chinese rules restrict Indian exporters’ access to the market.
She cited generic drugs, beef and vegetables as Indian goods with potential in China.
India’s trade imbalance with China is growing, Sitharaman said, and she described the barriers as a major obstacle to trade.
The countries’ relations deteriorated after a deadly border clash in 2020, though both have since taken steps to ease tensions and restore high-level engagement.
India has not responded with its own trade barriers or countervailing duties, she said.
Her comments point to market access as a continuing issue as the two countries work to stabilise relations.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said China’s non-tariff barriers are a major hurdle to closer trade ties with India.
She said India’s trade imbalance with China is growing and that the barriers restrict access for Indian products.
Sitharaman cited phytosanitary rules and limited access for generic drugs, beef and vegetables.
She said India has not responded with non-tariff barriers or countervailing duties.
Her comments came as India and China have taken steps to ease tensions following a deadly border clash in 2020.
- Who
- India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
- What
- She said China’s non-tariff barriers restrict Indian products and hinder closer trade ties.
- When
- Friday, October 16, 2026.
- Where
- On the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund meeting in Bangkok.
- Why
- She said the barriers limit access for Indian goods and contribute to a growing trade imbalance.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A deadly border clash sent India-China ties into a deep freeze.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India was not getting a level playing field in China.
Sitharaman criticized China’s non-tariff barriers at the sidelines of an IMF meeting in Bangkok.
- Speaker
- Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s finance minister
- Location
- Bangkok
- Trade barriers cited
- Non-tariff barriers, including phytosanitary rules
- Indian goods named
- Generic drugs, beef and vegetables
- Trade response
- India has not sought to retaliate with non-tariff barriers or countervailing duties
3 sources
What people are saying
With China, I think our trade balance is against us, and it is growing exponentially
China uses non-tariff barriers unhesitatingly
the biggest hurdle in the trade between India and China