Eco Super 50 Sanjay Saraf
Eco Super 50 Sanjay Saraf
Eco Super 50 Sanjay Saraf
SUPER 50
Question 1.
Is country like India unable to estimate their National Income wholly by one
method? Give comments
Answer :
Yes, Countries like India are unable to estimate their national income wholly by one
method. There are various sectors in an economy and national income generated by
these sectors is estimated by using different methods. For example, in agricultural
sector, net value added is estimated by the production method, in small scale sector
net value added is estimated by the income method and in the construction sector
net value added is estimated by the expenditure method.
Question 2.
Answer :
i. Consumption expenditure at equilibrium level of National Income
Y = C + I [ AD = C + I]
Putting the value of Investment Expenditure (I) = Rs.500 Crores and Income (Y) =
Rs. 2000 crores, we get
C = 2,000 – 500
C= Rs.1500 Crores
Question 3.
Define aggregate demand. How do you derive the Keynesian aggregate demand
schedule?
Answer :
Aggregate demand is the total quantity of finished goods and services that all sectors
(consumers, firms, government and the rest of the world) together wish to buy under
different conditions. The components of aggregate demand are consumption
demand, investment demand, government spending and net exports at each level of
income. While consumption demand is a function of the level of disposable income,
the demand for investment, government spending and net exports are autonomous,
i.e. these are determined outside the model and are specifically assumed to be
independent of income.
The Keynesian aggregate demand schedule is obtained by vertically adding the
demand for consumption, investment demand, government spending and net
exports at each level of income.
Question 4.
Answer :
Personal income is a measure of actual current income receipts of persons from all
sources which may or may not be earned from productive activities during a given
period of time. It is the income ‘actually paid out’ to the household sector, but not
necessarily earned. Some people obtain income for which no goods and services are
provided in return. Examples of this include transfer payments such as social security
benefits, unemployment compensation, welfare payments etc. Individuals also earn
income which they do not actually receive; for example, undistributed corporate
profits and the contribution of employers to social security. Personal income forms
the basis for consumption expenditures and is derived from national income as
follows:
PI = NI + income received but not earned - income earned but not received.
Disposable personal income is a measure of amount of the money in the hands of the
individuals that is available for their consumption or savings. Disposable personal
income is derived from personal income by subtracting the direct taxes paid by
individuals and other compulsory payments made to the government.
DI = PI - Personal Income Taxes
Question 5.
Answer :
Question 6.
How are the following transactions treated in national income calculation? What is
the rationale in each case?
Answer :
i. Being an intermediate good, electricity sold to a steel plant will not be included in
national income calculation. The underlying principle is that only finished goods
and services which are directly sold to the consumer for final consumption would
be included.
ii. Electric power sold to a consumer household would be included in the calculation
of GDP since it is a final good consumed by the end user.
iii. The value of parts and components procured from the market by a car
manufacturer will not be included in national income calculation because these
are intermediate goods used in car production.
iv. The value of the robot bought by a computer producer for use in the production
of computers would be included in national income calculation because the
computer producer is the “final consumer” of the robot and the robot is not
resold in the market after value addition.
v. The value of parts and components procured from the market by a car
manufacturer will not be included in national income calculation because these
are intermediate goods used in car production. Value is added to the parts and
components through the process of production and the same is resold. The value
of the final output, namely car, includes the value of the parts and components.
Counting parts and components separately will lead to the error of double
counting and exaggerate the value of car production. A set of four tyres produced
by MRF in 2017 and sold to Suzuki to be put on a 2017 car will not be included in
the national income of 2017.
Question 7.
The equilibrium level of real GDP is Rs 1,000 billion, the full employment level of
real GDP is Rs 1,250 billion, and the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) is 0.60.
How much government spending (“G) would be needed to raise income to full-
employment level?
Answer :
K= 1/1-MPC
= 1/1-0.6
= 2.5
Y
K
G
1250 1000
2.5
G
G 100 billion
Question 8.
Tax (T) = 50
X (Exports) = 200
Answer :
i. National Income:
Y = C+I+G+(X-M)
= (100+0.9Yd) +100+120+200-(100+0.15Y)
= 100+0.9(Y-T) +100+120+200-100-0.15Y
= 100+0.9(Y-50) +100+120+200-100-0.15Y
Y = 375+0.75Y
Y-0.75Y = 375
0.25Y = 375
Y = 375 ×100/25= 1500.00
Question 9.
Answer :
Question 10.
Answer :
Personal Income = Net domestic product accruing to private sector + Net factor
income from abroad + Net current transfers from government + Net current transfers
from rest of the world + interest on National debt – Corporation tax – Undistributed
profits of corporations
= 700 + 10 + 25 + 20 + 40 - 65 - 50 = 680 Crores
Question 11.
Calculate Gross National Disposable income from the following data (in ` Crores)
NDP at factor cost 6000
Net factor income to abroad - 300
Consumption of fixed capital 400
Current transfers from government 200
Net current transfers from rest of the world 500
Indirect taxes 700
Subsidies 600
Answer :
Gross National Disposable Income (GNDI)= GNPMP + Net current transfer received
from rest of the world. Net current transfer received from rest of the world is the
difference between the current transfer received from rest of the world and current
transfers paid to rest of the world. Current transfers from government are not
included as they are simply transfers within the economy.
Gross National Disposable Income = (National Consumption Expenditure) + (Gross
National Saving)
= (Government final consumption expenditure+ expenditure) + (Gross National
Saving.)
Calculation:
= NDP at factor cost + Consumption of fixed capital =GDP at factor cost
GDP at factor cost + Net factor income to abroad = GNP at factor cost
GNP at factor cost + (indirect taxes – subsidies) = GNP at market prices
GNP at market prices + Net current transfers from rest of the world
= Gross National Disposable income
= (6000+400) + (- 300) + (700-600) + 500
= 6400 - 300 + 100 + 500 = 6700 Crores
Question 12.
Answer :
Aggregate demand (AD) is the sum of all planned expenditures for the entire
economy. When aggregate expenditures exceed an economy’s production capacity at
full employment level; the resulting strain on resources creates “demand-pull”
inflation or higher price level. Nominal output will increase, but it merely reflects
higher prices, rather than additional real output.
Question 13.
Answer :
Question 14.
ii. Why do pensions and other security payments get excluded while calculating
National Income?
Answer :
ii. GDP measures what is produced or created over the current time period and
excludes all non-production transactions. Only incomes earned by owners of
primary factors of production for services rendered in production are included in
national income. Transfer payments, both private and government, are made
without goods or services being received in return. These payments do not
correspond to return for contribution to production because they do not directly
absorb resources or create output. Therefore, transfer incomes such as pensions
and other social security payments are excluded from national income.
Question 15.
The price index for exports of Bangladesh in the year 2018-19 (based on 2010-11)
was 233.73 and the price index for imports of it was 220.50 (based on 2010-11)
What do these figures mean ?
Answer :
The figures represent foreign trade price indices which are compiled using prices of
specified group of commodities exported from and imported by Bangladesh in the
year 2018-19. Both indices have a base year of 2010 -11 (=100) and the price changes
are measured in relation to that figure. In the current year, the import price index of
220.50 indicates that there has been a 120.50 percent increase in price since 2010-11
and export price index shows that there is 133.73 percent increase in export prices.
These indices track the changes in the price which firms and countries receive / pay
for products they export/ import and can be used for assessing the impact of
international trade on the domestic economy.
Question 16.
Define Social Good? What is the similarity and dissimilarity between Social Goods
and Common Pool Resources?
Answer :
A Social Good is defined as one which all enjoy in common in the sense that each
individual’s consumption of such a good leads to no subtraction from any other
individuals consumption of that good. Similarity between Social Goods and Common
Pool Resources is that both are nonexcludable whereas dissimilarity is seen in their
nature that is Social Goods are non-rival which means that the use of these goods
does not reduce the availability for others, while Common Pool Resources are rival in
nature which means that the use of these resources reduce the availability for
others.
Question 17.
Answer :
Question 18.
You are the Finance Minister of India. You find that the country is passing through
recession. As Finance Minister what suggestions will you make to the Government
of India to bring the country out of recession.
Answer :
A recession is said to occur when overall economic activity declines or in other words,
when the economy contracts. As a Finance Minister it is my responsibility to frame /
suggest fiscal policy for the country at the time of recession or inflation so as to take
the country out of it.
Fiscal policy involves the use of government spending, taxation and borrowing to
influence both the pattern of economic activity and level of growth of aggregate
demand, output and employment.
Fiscal measures could be discretionary and non-discretionary.
During recession, the government has to use discretionary fiscal policies.
Discretionary fiscal policy refers to deliberate policy actions on the part of the
government to change the levels of expenditure and taxes to influence the level of
national output, employment and prices. Since GDP = C + I + G + NX, governments
can influence economic activity (GDP), by controlling G (Government Expenditure)
directly and influencing C(Private Consumption), I(Private Investment), and NX (Net
Exports) indirectly, through changes in taxes, transfer payments and expenditure.
During a recession as a part of government I may initiate a fresh wave of public
works. These will involve employment of labour as well as purchase of multitude of
goods and services. These expenditures directly generate incomes to labour and
suppliers of material and services. Apart from this, there is also indirect effect in the
form of working of multiplier.
Besides this, as a finance minister, I may reduce corporate and personal income tax
to overcome contractionarily tendencies in the economy. A tax cut increases
disposable income of households.
Question 19.
Answer :
When a fertilizer plant dumps effluents into a river, there is negative externality
because it adversely affects the quality of water and reduces the welfare of the
people who use it. The users of polluted water are third parties and are not in any
way connected with the economic transactions that take place within the fertilizer
factory. The fertilizer producer does not bear the true cost of wastewater to the
society and the fertilizer prices do not include the costs borne by these third parties.
Therefore, the fertilizer producer will have an incentive to produce too much
effluents. The price of fertilizer which is equal to the marginal cost of production will
be lower than what it would be if the cost of production reflected the effluent cost
also.
Question 20.
Why is it difficult for the government to determine the optimal quantity of a public
good?
Answer :
It is difficult for the government to determine the optimal quantity of a public good
because consumer preferences for these goods are not revealed in the market and a
price cannot be charged since they are non rival and non-excludable in consumption
and are characterized by indivisibility.
Question 21.
Answer :
Question 22.
What should be the public revenue and expenditure policy during recession?
Answer :
Government’s fiscal policy for stabilization purposes attempts to direct the actions of
individuals and organizations by means of its expenditure and taxation decisions.
During recession, an expansionary fiscal policy is resorted to by government through
increased aggregate spending to compensate for the deficiency in effective demand.
Increased government expenditure (for example on building infrastructure) injects
more money into the economy, initiate a series of productive activities, stimulates
overall economic activities, employment and demand.
Production decisions, investments, savings etc can be influenced by government’s tax
policies. During recession, the government’s tax policy is framed to encourage private
consumption and investment. A general reduction in income taxes leaves higher
disposable incomes with people inducing higher consumption. Low corporate taxes
increase the prospects of profits for business and promote further investment.
Question 23.
Answer :
Global Public Goods are those public goods with benefits /costs that potentially
extend to everyone in the world. These goods have widespread impact on different
countries and regions, population groups and generations throughout the entire
globe. Global Public Goods may be:
final public goods which are ‘outcomes’ such as ozone layer preservation or
climate change prevention, or
intermediate public goods, which contribute to the provision of final public goods.
e.g. International health regulations
The distinctive characteristic of global public goods is that there is no mechanism
(either market or government) to ensure an efficient outcome.
The World Bank identifies five areas of global public goods which it seeks to address:
namely, the environmental commons (including the prevention of climate change
and biodiversity), communicable diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria,
and avian influenza), international trade, international financial architecture, and
global knowledge for development.
Question 24.
Answer :
Question 25.
Answer :
Question 26.
Explain how higher of interest rate affect the demand for money.
Answer :
The demand for money is a decision about how much of one’s given stock of wealth
should be held in the form of money rather than as other assets such as bonds.
Demand for money is actually demand for liquidity and a demand to store value.
Demand for money is in the nature of derived demand; it is demanded for it
purchasing power.
Basically people demand money because they wish to have command over real
goods and services with the use of money.
Demand for money has an important role in the determination of interest, prices and
income in an economy. Higher the interest rate, higher would be opportunity cost of
holding cash and lower the demand for money. Similarly, lower the interest rate,
lower will be the opportunity cost of holding cash and higher the demand for money.
Question 27.
Answer :
The measures of money supply vary from country to country, from time to time and
from purpose to purpose.
The high-powered money and the credit money broadly constitute the most common
measure of money supply, or the total money stock of a country. High powered
money is the source of all other forms of money. The second major source of money
supply is the banking system of the country.
Money created by the commercial banks is called ‘credit money’. Measurement of
money supply is essential from a monetary policy perspective because it enables a
framework to evaluate whether the stock of money in the economy is consistent
with the standards for price stability, to understand the nature of deviations from
this standard and to study the causes of money growth. The stock of money always
refers to the total amount of money at any particular point of time i.e. it is the stock
of money available to the ‘public’ as a means of payments and store of value and
does not include inter-bank deposits.
The monetary aggregates are:
M1 = Currency and coins with the people + demand deposits of banks (Current and
Saving accounts) + other deposits of the RBI;
M2 = M1 + savings deposits with post office savings banks,
M3 = M1 + net time deposits of banks and
M4 = M3 + total deposits with the Post Office Savings Organization (excluding
National Savings Certificates)
Question 28.
Explain how Reserve Bank of India acts as a ‘lender of last resort ‘to commercial
banks? Or Explain the operation of Marginal Standing Facility?
Answer :
The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) is the last resort for banks to obtain funds once
they exhaust all borrowing options including the liquidity adjustment facility on
which the rates are lower compared to the MSF. Under this facility, the scheduled
commercial banks can borrow additional amount of overnight money from the
central bank over and above what is available to them through the LAF window by
dipping into their Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) portfolio up to a limit ( a fixed per
cent of their net demand and time liabilities deposits (NDTL) liable to change ) at a
penal rate of interest. The scheme has been introduced by RBI with the main aim of
reducing volatility in the overnight lending rates in the inter-bank market and to
enable smooth monetary transmission in the financial system. This provides a safety
valve against unexpected liquidity shocks to the banking system.
Question 29.
Answer :
In the early 1900s, Cambridge Economists Alfred Marshall, A.C. Pigou, D.H. Robertson
and John Maynard Keynes (then associated with Cambridge) put forward a
fundamentally different approach to quantity theory, known neoclassical theory or
cash balance approach. The Cambridge version holds that money increases utility in
the following two ways:
1. enabling the possibility of split-up of sale and purchase to two different points of
time rather than being simultaneous, and
2. being a hedge against uncertainty.
While the first above represents transaction motive, just as Fisher envisaged, the
second points to money’s role as a temporary store of wealth. Since sale and
purchase of commodities by individuals do not take place simultaneously, they need
a ‘temporary abode’ of purchasing power as a hedge against uncertainty. As such,
demand for money also involves a precautionary motive in Cambridge approach.
Since money gives utility in its store of wealth and precautionary modes, one can say
that money is demanded for itself.
Now, the question is how much money will be demanded? The answer is: it depends
partly on income and partly on other factors of which important ones are wealth and
interest rates. The former determinant of demand i.e. income, points to transactions
demand such that higher the income, the greater the quantity of purchases and as a
consequence greater will be the need for money as a temporary abode of value to
overcome transactions costs. The Cambridge equation is stated as:
Md = k PY, Where Md = is the demand for money
Y = real national income
P = average price level of currently produced goods and services
PY = nominal income
k = proportion of nominal income (PY) that people want to hold as cash balances
The term ‘k’ in the above equation is called ‘Cambridge k’. The equation above
explains that the demand for money (M) equals k proportion of the total money
income.
Thus we see that the neoclassical theory changed the focus of the quantity theory of
money to money demand and hypothesized that demand for money is a function of
money income.
Both these versions are chiefly concerned with money as a means of transactions or
exchange, and therefore, they present models of the transaction demand for money.
Question 30.
Answer :
Question 31.
Answer :
High powered money is also known as reserve money which determines the level of
liquidity and price level in the economy.
Reserve Money = Net RBI Credit to the Government + RBI credit to the Commercial
sector+ RBI’s claims on banks+ RBI’s Net foreign assets+ Government’s currency
liabilities to the public- RBI’s net non- monetary liabilities
= 41561.2 + 18459.3 + 31456.2 + 10456.1 + 21417.1 - 24981.2 = 98368.7 million
Question 32.
Answer :
Question 33.
Explain the function of SLR? What are the eligible securities of SLR?
Answer :
The Statutory Liquidity ratio (SLR) is an instrument of monetary policy and aims to
control liquidity in the domestic market by means of manipulating bank credit.
Changes in the SLR chiefly influence the availability of resources in the banking
system for lending. A rise in the SLR which is resorted to during periods of high
liquidity, tends to lock up a rising fraction of a bank’s assets in the form of eligible
instruments, and this reduces the credit creation capacity of banks. A reduction in
the SLR during periods of economic downturn has the opposite effect. The SLR
requirement also facilitates a captive market for government securities.
Following are the eligible securities of SLR;
i. Cash
ii. Gold valued at a price not exceeding the current market price,
or
iii. Investments in un-encumbered Instruments that include:
a. Treasury-bills of the Government of India.
b. Dated securities including those issued by the Government of India fromtime
to time under the market borrowings programme and the Market Stabilization
Scheme (MSS).
c. State Development Loans (SDLs) issued by State Governments under their
market borrowings programme.
d. Other instruments as notified by the RBI.
Question 34.
Answer :
Question 35
Answer :
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934 was amended in 2016, for giving a statutory
backing to the Monetary Policy Framework Agreement. It is an agreement reached
between the Government of India and the RBI on the maximum tolerable inflation
rate that the RBI should target to achieve price stability.
The amended RBI Act (2016) provides for a statutory basis for the implementation of
the ‘flexible inflation targeting framework’ by abandoning the ‘multiple indicator’
approach. T he inflation target is to be set by the Government of India, in
consultation with the Reserve Bank, once in every five years.
Accordingly,
The Central Government has notified 4 per cent Consumer Price Index (CPI)
inflation as the target for the period from August 5, 2016 to March 31, 2021 with
the upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent and the lower tolerance limit of 2 per cent.
The RBI is mandated to publish a Monetary Policy Report every six months,
explaining the sources of inflation and the forecasts of inflation for the coming
period of six to eighteen months.
Question 36.
Particulars ` in crore
Term deposits with term lending institutions 750
Term borrowing by refinancing institutions 450
All deposits with post office savings banks 1320
Term deposits with refinancing institutions 590
Certificate of deposits issued by FIs 290
Public deposits of non-banking financial companies 450
NM3 2650
National saving certificates 240
Answer :
L2 = L1 + Term deposits with term lending institutions + Term deposits with
refinancing institutions + Term borrowing by refinancing institutions + Certificate of
deposits issued by FIs
Where L1 = NM3 + All deposits with post office savings banks
= 2650 + 1320
= 3970 crore
Question 37.
Assume that 15% specific tariff is levied by the government on every sunglass which
is imported into India, and if 2000 sunglasses are imported and price of each
sunglass is Rs.1000/- , then find out the amount of total tariff revenue collected by
the government?
Answer :
Specific tariff is an import duty which levied as a fixed charge per unit of the good
imported. Therefore amount in total tariff revenue = 2000 15% = Rs. 300/- In this
case, total Rs. 300/- is collected, whether the price of a sunglass is of Rs. 1000 or Rs.
2000 for different brand.
Question 38.
The table below shows the number of labour hours required to produce wheat and
cloth in two countries X and Y.
Commodity Country X Country Y
1 unit of cloth 4 1.0
1 unit of wheat 2 2.5
Answer :
i. Productivity of labour (output per labour hour = the volume of output produced
per unit of labour input)
= output / input of labour hours
Output of commodity Units in Units in
Country X Country Y
Cloth 0.25 1.0
Wheat 0.50 0.4
ii. A country has an absolute advantage in producing a good over another country if
it requires fewer resources to produce that good. Since one hour of labour time
produces 0.5 units of wheat in country X against 0.4 units in country Y. Therefore,
Country X has absolute advantage in production of wheat.
iii. Since one hour of labour time produces 1.0 units of rice in country Y against 0.25
units in country X.
Therefore, Country Y has absolute advantage in production of cloth.
Question 39.
Answer :
Question 40.
Answer :
i. Dumping by Country B and Country C. B because it sells at a lower price than that
in domestic market; Country C because it is selling at a price which is less than the
average cost of production.
ii. Adverse effects on domestic industry as they will lose competitiveness in their
markets due to unfair practice of dumping. Country D may prove damage to
domestic industries and charge anti-dumping duties on goods imported from
Country B and Country C so as to raise the price and make it at par which similar
goods produced by domestic firms.
Question 41.
Define quantitative restrictions? Are QRs allowed under the WTO? What are the
exceptions?
Answer :
Question 42.
Answer :
Question 43.
Answer :
The World Trade Organization has a three- tier system of decision making. The WTO’s
top level decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference which can take decisions
on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
The Ministerial Conference meets at least once every two years. The next level is the
General Council which meets several times a year at the Geneva headquarters.
The General Council also meets as the Trade Policy Review Body and the Dispute
Settlement Body. At the next level, the Goods Council, Services Council and
Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Council report to the General Council. These councils are
responsible for overseeing the implementation of the WTO agreements in their
respective areas of specialisation. The three also have subsidiary bodies.
Numerous specialized committees, working groups and working parties deal with the
individual agreements.
Question 44.
Examine why General Agreement in Tariff & Trade (GATT) lost its relevance.
Answer :
Question 45.
Answer :
Question 46.
Answer :
The principal objective of the WTO is to facilitate the flow of international trade
smoothly, freely, fairly and predictably. The WTO agreement aims to increase world
trade by enhancing market access by the following:
i. The agreement specifies the conduct of trade without discrimination. The Most-
favoured-nation (MFN) principle holds that if a country lowers a trade barrier or
opens up a market, it has to do so for the same goods or services from all other
WTO members.
ii. The National Treatment Principle requires that a country should not discriminate
between its own and foreign products, services or nationals. With respect to
internal taxes, internal laws, etc. applied to imports, treatment not less
favourable than that which is accorded to like domestic products must be
accorded to all other members.
iii. The principle of general prohibition of quantitative restrictions.
iv. By converting all non- tariff barriers into tariffs which are subject to country
specific limits.
v. The imposition of tariffs should be only legitimate measures for the protection of
domestic industries, and tariff rates for individual items are being gradually
reduced through negotiations‘ on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous’ basis.
vi. In major multilateral agreements like the Agreement on Agriculture (AOA),
specific targets have been specified for ensuring market access.
Question 47.
Answer :
Question 48.
How does trade increase economic efficiency and which view argued that trade is a
zero- sum game and how?
Answer :
Economic efficiency increases due to quantitative and qualitative benefits of
extended division of labour, economies of large scale production, betterment of
manufacturing capabilities, increased competitiveness and profitability by adoption
of cost reducing technology and business practices and decrease in the likelihood of
domestic monopolies. Efficient deployment of productive resources - natural, human,
industrial and financial resources ensures productivity gains.
Mercantilist argued that trade is a zero sum game. Mercantilism advocated
maximizing exports in order to bring in more precious metals and minimizing imports
through the state imposing very high tariffs on foreign goods. This view argues that
trade is a ‘zero-sum game’, with winners who win does so only at the expense of
losers and one country’s gain is equal to another country’s loss, so that the net
change in wealth or benefits among the participants is zero.
Question 49.
What are the main advantages of fixed rate regime in an open economy?
Answer :
In an open economy, the main advantages of a fixed rate regime are, firstly, a fixed
exchange rate avoids currency fluctuations and eliminates exchange rate risks and
transaction costs that can impede international flow of trade and investments. A
fixed exchange rate can thus greatly enhance international trade and investment.
Secondly, a fixed exchange rate system imposes discipline on a country’s monetary
authority and therefore is more likely to generate lower levels of inflation.
Thirdly, the government can encourage greater trade and investment as stability
encourages investment.
Fourthly, exchange rate peg c an also enhance the credibility of the country’s
monetary policy. And
lastly, in the fixed or managed floating (where the market forces are allowed to
determine the exchange rate within a band) exchange rate regimes, the central bank
is required to stand ready to intervene in the foreign exchange market and, also to
maintain an adequate amount of foreign exchange reserves for this purpose.
Question 50.
Answer :
When a country enjoys the best trade terms given by its trading partner it is said to
enjoy the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. Originally formulated as Article 1 of
GATT, this principle of non-discrimination states that any advantage, favour, privilege
or immunity granted by any contracting party to any product originating in or
destined for any other country shall be extended immediately and unconditionally to
the like product originating or destined for the territories of all other contracting
parties. Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate
between their trading partners. If a country improves the benefits that it gives to one
trading partner, (such as a lower a trade barrier, or opens up a market), it has to give
the same best treatment to all the other WTO members too in respect of the same
goods or services so that they all remain ‘most-favoured’. As per the WTO
agreements, each member treats all the other members equally as “most-favoured”
trading partners.