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Manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> will increase its dependence on <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> for raw materials, mineral processing, and battery production, according to a report of by the economic think tank <keyword id="15910220" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gtri" source="Orion">GTRI</keyword>. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) also said that there is a need for life cycle impact evaluation for the EVs sector EVs result in the release of pollutants during battery making, disposal, and charging and about 70 per cent of materials used to manufacture EVs in India are imported from China and a few other countries, it said. "EVs will increase India's dependence on China for raw materials, mineral processing, and battery production," it said. China has bought the largest lithium mines in Australia and South America. It processes more than 60 per cent of the lithium produced globally. It also processes 65 per cent of cobalt and 93 per cent of manganese. China makes three out of four batteries produced globally, it said, adding over 100 Chinese battery units make 60 per cent of the cathodes and 80 per cent of the anodes used in lithium-ion cells. The report pointed out that EVs have implications for jobs and pollution and it identified 13 issues related to the interests of consumers, industry, and the government for an evaluation. The issues include the high prices of these vehicles, the fitness of EVs for a long journey, performance under extreme weather, increase in power demand, less fit for public transport, increased dependence on China, no reduction in pollution, disruption of the auto component sector, and inadequate availability of lithium. "EVs with lithium-ion batteries are at best a work-in-progress innovation. We must understand the long-term impact of EVs on jobs, pollution levels, imports, and economic growth," GTRI co-founder <keyword id="504704" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ajay-srivastava" source="Orion">Ajay Srivastava</keyword> said. On the pollution issue, it explained that a typical 500-kilogram lithium car battery uses 12 kg of lithium, 15 kg of cobalt, 30 kg of nickel, 44 kg of copper, and 50 kg of graphite. It also uses about 200 kg of steel, aluminium, and plastics. Mining extraction, transport, and processing of these materials release pollutants and CO2, leading to air and water pollution, it added. "The battery's life is 6-7 years; after which it needs to be recycled. Recycling is complex as the battery contains many toxic materials that are challenging to dispose of. Firms promoting EVs talk about zero tail-pipe emissions but are silent on mining and disposal costs," the report said. Further, it said that EVs will only increase pollution as the batteries are charged from coal-generated electricity. India generates 60 per cent of its electricity from fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, and of this, coal accounts for 50 per cent. "Electric cars only make sense when most power comes from renewable energy," it said, adding that EVs will disrupt India's auto-component industry with 700 organised and 10,000 unorganised manufacturers. It also said that EVs will end the existence of lakhs of shops/garages selling spare parts, changing oil, and servicing vehicles. Further, it said that EV is not a global phenomenon and the push for it is coming from Europe, which is introducing the Carbon Border Adjustment mechanism to protect their polluting industry and disrupt global trade. "There is no standardisation in the charging port for electric scooters. Each firm issues its charging port model. Unless the charging ports are standardised, each maker has to set up separate charging infra across the country," it added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/imdb-shares-top-rated-indian-films-nominated-for-oscars/slidelist/98470341.cms">Two-decade-old Lagaan outscores RRR amongst Oscar-nominated Indian movies on IMDb</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/world-faces-biggest-cholera-surge-in-20-years/articleshow/98470190.cms">World faces biggest cholera surge in 20 years</a>

EVs will increase India's dependence on China for raw materials, battery production: GTRI report

New Delhi, Banking issues like reluctance to process <keyword id="6358355" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="forex" source="Orion">forex</keyword> received through alternate channels and high processing fees are hindering the growth of <keyword id="7848945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-exports" source="Orion">e-commerce exports</keyword> from India, and there is a need to bring mindset change to unlock the sector's potential, a report by think tank GTRI said on Monday. Unlocking India's e-commerce export potential to USD 350 billion by 2030 requires addressing banking issues that hinder growth and increase operational costs, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. "To initiate change, both the RBI and banks must shift their mindset towards treating small-value exports differently from larger ones. This shift is essential to prevent misuse while streamlining processes. Without this fundamental change, any reforms attempted by the RBI and banks will fall short," it said. Small e-commerce businesses often face challenges because banks are not equipped to handle low-value transactions efficiently, it added. The key issues include reluctance to process forex through alternate channels, high processing fees, incorrect purpose code allocation, and limitations in the RBI's EDPMS (Export Data Processing and Monitoring System). The Reserve Bank of India tracks export payments and reconciliation through its Export Data Processing and Monitoring System. "Banks are happy to process forex received through bank transfers but reluctant to process forex received through foreign currency cheques, payment gateways like PayPal, credit cards, <keyword id="151105" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="western-union" source="Orion">Western Union</keyword>, cash receipt when a buyer selects item live in the retail shop," it said. Banks delay crediting forex received in a firm's account when payments are received through such channels, and this affects cash flow and hampers business operations, the report noted. Banks charge money multiple times at different stages for the same small-value shipment, it added. Elaborating this, it said that essential charges include charges for submitting shipping bills (Rs 80 to Rs 2,000) at the time of forex realisation (1-to-2.5 per cent of value), intermediary bank charges during forex transfers (USD 10 to USD 55 per transaction), penalties for bills pending at EDPMS (Rs 100 per shipping bill per month). "Most charges are fixed for a transaction irrespective of value. Bank charges can exceed 50-60 per cent of the shipment value. This makes e-commerce exports commercially unviable," it said, adding banks allocate purpose codes for each remittance but frequently issue incorrect codes. For example, purpose code P0103, meant for advance payments, is often assigned even when exports have already occurred and the firm has submitted proof. Incorrect allocation of purpose codes by banks leads to reconciliation problems, EDPMS pendency issues, and issuance of notices and fines on exporters. The RBI issues notices to exporters for EDPMS defaults but does not give them direct access to view their records, as per the report. "Exporters must rely on banks/DGFT for critical data, leading to unnecessary delays and complications," GTRI co-founder <keyword id="504704" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ajay-srivastava" source="Orion">Ajay Srivastava</keyword> said. The report suggested eight action points, such as the creation of a single window platform for e-commerce and small-value shipments, standardise bank charges, defining a time limit for banks to complete all small export-related requests by the RBI, and exempting shipment value up to USD 1,000 per shipment from monitoring till the single window is implemented. It also pitched for an extension of the timeline for EDPMS closure from the current nine months to 24 months and redesign the courier shipping bill to reflect correct payment terms. On the single window, Srivastava called for integrating the RBI, banks, Customs, DGFT, India Post, courier companies and exporters. "This platform should cover all realisation methods other than bank transfers. The exporter should be able to conduct all transactions online. SW will automate the EDPMS reconciliation process," he added. He said that high processing fees and multiple charges at different stages of exporting hurt small businesses the most, and the banks should charge a one-time fee for each shipment instead of further charges at various stages. "The government could subsidise these fees to ease the financial burden on small exporters," the report said, adding there is a need to raise the export realisation variation limit from 25 per cent to 100 per cent.

Banking issues hinder growth of exports through e-commerce: GTRI report

India's gold and silver imports from its free trade agreement (FTA) partner UAE have skyrocketed 210 per cent to USD 10.7 billion in 2023-24 and there is a need to potentially revise the concessional customs duty rates under the pact to mitigate the arbitrage driving this surge, a report said on Monday. Economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (<keyword id="15910220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GTRI" source="Orion">GTRI</keyword>) said this sharp rise in gold and silver imports is primarily driven by import duty concessions granted by India to the UAE under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). India allows 7 per cent tariffs or customs duty concessions on import of unlimited quantities of silver and a 1 per cent concession on 160 metric tonnes of gold. CEPA was signed in February 2022 and implemented in May 2022. Additionally, India facilitates gold and silver imports by allowing private firms to import from the UAE through the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) in Gift City. Previously, only authorised agencies could handle such imports, the report said. "While India's total imports from the UAE fell 9.8 per cent from USD 53.2 billion in FY23 to USD 48 billion in FY24, imports of gold and silver skyrocketed 210 per cent, from USD 3.5 billion to USD 10.7 billion," it said. "Import of all remaining products fell 25 per cent, from USD 49.7 billion in FY23 to USD 37.3 billion in FY24," it said. GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said the current import of gold and silver from the UAE is unsustainable as the UAE does not mine gold or silver or add sufficient value to imports. "High import duties in India on gold, silver, and jewellery at 15 per cent are at the root of the problem. Consider lowering tariffs to 5 per cent. This will cut large-scale smuggling and other misuse," Srivastava said. Trade in gold, silver, and diamonds has been prone to misuse due to their low volume but high value and high import duties in India. Low tariff imports of gold, silver only benefit few importers who keep all profits arising through tariff arbitrage and never pass it to consumers, he said. Srivastava suggested the government implement certain measures to help India balance its <keyword id="21681862" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-policies" source="keywords">trade policies</keyword>, protect domestic revenue, and ensure fair competition in the import of precious metals and jewellery. It suggested reassessing and potentially revising the concessional duty rates under CEPA to mitigate the arbitrage driving the surge in imports of gold and silver. "At least, implement yearly import quotas (tariff rate quotas) for silver, similar to those for gold, to control the volume of imports and prevent revenue loss," it said, adding that India should rigorously verify the claimed value addition by Dubai-based refiners in gold and silver imports to ensure compliance with CEPA rules of origin. It also asked to tighten regulations around the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) at Gift City to control the volume and nature of <keyword id="22080399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="precious-metal-imports" source="keywords">precious metal imports</keyword> and the exchange should not allow country-based exemptions. As increased imports contribute to a higher current account deficit and since gold and silver act more like financial instruments than regular trade items, India should avoid including them in any FTA. "India has granted <keyword id="20542001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tariff-concessions" source="keywords">tariff concessions</keyword> for these items in many FTAs and under the DFTP (duty-free tariff preference) scheme, so a comprehensive review is needed. India announced the scheme for LDCs (least developed countries) in 2008. Under this, India provides duty free/preferential market access on about 98.2 per cent of India's tariff lines (or product categories). Further, the report stated that silver imports from the UAE increased multifold to USD 1.74 billion in 2023-24 from a meagre USD 29.2 million in 2022-23 due to India charging an 8 per cent duty under the CEPA versus a 15 per cent duty from other countries. "The large 7 per cent tariff arbitrage resulted in a loss of revenue for India of Rs 1,010 crore in FY24. Revenue loss will increase as India has committed to make tariffs zero on unlimited quantities of silver from the UAE within next 8 years," it added. It said this trade is unusual because the UAE just imports large silver and gold bars, melt and convert these into silver grains and unwrought gold for exports. "A check with global refiners will show that value addition in such process is much less than 1 per cent as opposed to 3 per cent required under the FTA," it said. On gold bars, the report said India agreed to import 200 metric tons of gold annually from the UAE with a 1 per cent tariff concession and due to this gold imports rose 147.6 per cent from USD 3 billion in FY23 to USD 7.6 billion in FY24, causing India to lose Rs 635 crore in revenue in FY24. Similarly, India's jewellery imports have increased 187.6 per cent from USD 1.1 billion in FY23 to USD 3.3 billion in FY24, whereas these imports from the UAE have increased 290 per cent from USD 347 million in FY23 to USD 1.35 billion in the last fiscal.

Gold, silver import from UAE surged 210% in 2023-24; Need duty revision in FTA: GTRI

Last week, the President of the United States, <keyword id="19919748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="keywords">Joe Biden</keyword>, announced significant tariffs on a range of <keyword id="20139085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-products" source="keywords">Chinese products</keyword> to protect American workers from unfair trade practices. The targetted measures include a 100% tariff on <keyword id="6354973" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicles" source="Orion">electric vehicles</keyword>, a 50% tariff on semiconductors and solar cells, and a 25% tariffs on batteries, steel and aluminium products, some critical minerals, and essential health equipment like medical gloves, syringes and needles. In his address from the Rose Garden of the White House, Biden said America can continue to buy any kind of car they want, "but we're never going to allow China to unfairly control the market for these cars. Period." He claimed that the Chinese government has been investing state funds in various Chinese companies for years, spanning industries across the above-mentioned sectors. How does this brewing geopolitical <keyword id="20736760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-war" source="keywords">trade war</keyword> impact <keyword id="20742235" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-firms" source="keywords">Indian firms</keyword>? Experts say the impact could be in two ways, benefitting some sectors, while harming the few others. Let’s start with the bad news. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Threat to Indian firms" comment="subhead" text="Threat to Indian firms">Threat to Indian firms</cmsannotation> Beijing offers significant subsidies on most of these products, leading to surplus production that exceeds domestic and even regular export demand. Subsequently, Chinese companies are known to flood the global markets with surplus products at unreasonably low prices, forcing local manufacturers out of business in many countries, including <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>. A prime example of this in practice can be found in the steel sector, where weak domestic demand is pushing the world’s largest steel producer China to offload surplus production into Indian markets at cheaper prices. Indian steel manufacturers are already struggling to compete with a glut of cheaper Chinese steel, with shipments nearly doubling year-on-year in the financial year ending March 2024. “India is already under grave threat of import because all major steel consuming economies are shutting their doors on these steel producing countries. We are highly vulnerable to surging and predatory import,” said Alok Sahay, secretary general of the Indian Steel Association, to Reuters. Global trade experts say that a majority of Chinese products are sold at unreasonably low prices in global markets because the companies in these sectors do not have to worry about profits. They are heavily subsidised by the Chinese government. <keyword id="20279291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Steel-Authority-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Steel Authority of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Steel Authority of India">Steel Authority of India</keyword>’s (SAIL) chairman Amarendu Prakash also said that they are keenly watching Chinese imports after the US tariff increases. Additionally, China has been accused of employing anti-competitive strategies like compelling foreign companies to transfer their technology in order to operate in China. These factors have led to the US effectively shutting its door on several Chinese products through heightened tariffs, and other developed markets like Canada are also likely to follow suit. White House also emphasised that it continues to consult with its partners and allies who are facing similar threats from China’s unfair trade practices and are keen on taking action. If more and more global markets restrict entry of Chinese products, the risk of the majority of such products being dumped in neighbouring India increases drastically. Trying to block Chinese excess production "is like squeezing a balloon. It shrinks in one place and pops out in another," William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, tells Reuters. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="An opportunity also arises" comment="subhead" text="An opportunity also arises">An opportunity also arises</cmsannotation> While some products risk being dumped into the Indian market, in a few other cases, Indian firms could benefit from fresh openings in the lucrative US market. "Of the products affected, India has opportunities in face masks, PPE, syringes &amp;needles, medical gloves, aluminium, iron, and steel. Opportunity may come in China also with retaliation, provided we have market access in products targeted by China," Ajay Sahai, Director General of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), told ANI. However, China is not likely to retaliate against the US tariffs at the moment, say experts, though the country’s Ministry of Commerce said it would take 'resolute measures to safeguard its own rights and interests' "China's economy is fragile. With household spending and the property market on the wane, manufacturing for export markets is one of its few bright spots. Beijing will not want to cut off its nose to spite its face. More broadly, China is desperately trying to encourage new foreign investment. Rash retaliatory action could spoil its case," Moody's Analytics explained in a recent report. Out of China's USD 420 billion exports to the US, only USD 18 billion is impacted due to the latest hike in tariffs — representing slightly over 4% and therefore considered marginal. But Sahai says that this market will continue to grow with time and provides an opportunity to India and other competitors to chip in the supply gap. Ajay Srivastava, the founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), also echoes Sahai’s opinions. He emphasised that the increased duties on Chinese face masks, syringes, needles, medical gloves, and natural graphite offer a substantial opportunity for India, as quoted by ANI. "By ramping up production and export of these in-demand products, India could enhance its trade footprint in the US market," he added. In terms of products like electric vehicles and semiconductors, India remains a net importer, and therefore, may not be in a position to capitalise right now. In the long term, however, as India begins semiconductor production at scale in 2025, there will be opportunities to export some of it to the US and other European countries, offering fresh impetus for domestic manufacturing. As the security risks associated with importing Chinese semiconductors prompts more and more trade barriers from the Western countries, demand for supply from India is likely to grow. Efforts are already underway for the establishment of four large semiconductor plants in India, with three located in Gujarat and one in Assam. Last fiscal year, Indian exports to the US dipped marginally by 1.32 per cent to $77.5 billion as against $78.54 billion in 2022-23. The new development now gives an unique opportunity to turn the tide over the next few years. Overall, some sectors like steel and aluminium do face a serious challenge due to the fresh US tariffs on Chinese products. However, the development will open new avenues for Western market entry and expansion for several other products. (With inputs from agencies)

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EVs will increase India's dependence on China for raw materials, battery production: GTRI report

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Banking issues hinder growth of exports through e-commerce: GTRI report

PTI

Gold, silver import from UAE surged 210% in 2023-24; Need duty revision in FTA: GTRI

PTI

US-China tariff war could benefit several sectors in India while harming a few others

Deekshith Pinto

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