India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
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As with the retail food sector, the restaurant sector has organized <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> unorganized<br />
segments. The unorganized restaurant sector includes snack shops, tea shops, roadside<br />
eateries, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> other informal restaurants, <strong>on</strong> which there are insufficient data. 45 Organized<br />
restaurants <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> hotels in <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g> are likely to buy imported food to satisfy their clientele; in<br />
fact, imported food <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> beverages are primarily c<strong>on</strong>sumed in the HRI sector. Imported<br />
foods are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten served because the items in questi<strong>on</strong> are not available domestically or the<br />
domestic quality is not high. 46 One study found that hotels c<strong>on</strong>stitute an especially<br />
important potential market for imported foodstuffs because they are normally am<strong>on</strong>g the<br />
first users <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> imported products <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten cater to an internati<strong>on</strong>al clientele. 47<br />
Attributes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an Efficient Marketing <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Distributi<strong>on</strong><br />
System<br />
Characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> competitive markets that c<strong>on</strong>tribute to efficient marketing <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
distributi<strong>on</strong> systems include (1) many sellers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> many buyers, so that both are “price<br />
takers;” (2) the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> timely <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reliable informati<strong>on</strong> to all potential sellers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
buyers; <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> (3) low transacti<strong>on</strong> costs resulting from modern transportati<strong>on</strong> networks, few<br />
middlemen, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> no administrative restricti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> movement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> products within the<br />
country. Inefficiencies in the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n agricultural marketing <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> system,<br />
stemming from shortcomings in these characteristics, drive a price wedge between<br />
producers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sumers.<br />
C<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong><br />
One <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a competitive, efficient market is a large number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> buyers<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> sellers, n<strong>on</strong>e with enough market power to influence prices by themselves. <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s<br />
marketing system does not fit this pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ile. There are a relatively small number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> buyers<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> a large number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> farmers in the m<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>i system. Although the m<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>i system was set<br />
up to counter the market power <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> corporati<strong>on</strong>s or other large purchasers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> give farmers<br />
a better pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>it margin, traders now maintain significant market power. 48 For commodities<br />
other than rice <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> wheat, MSPs have little impact <strong>on</strong> market prices in major producing<br />
states, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the market power <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> buyers is unhindered. 49<br />
Market Informati<strong>on</strong><br />
Access to price <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> quality data is <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the cornerst<strong>on</strong>es <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an efficient competitive<br />
market, but the typical <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n farmer has little up-to-date informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the price,<br />
quality, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> volume <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> agricultural products in specific markets. The small size <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> most<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n farms <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the small volume marketed by these marginal farmers mean that the<br />
benefits <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> price discovery are slight for the individual farmer. A low literacy rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
45 Bryant Christie Inc., “<str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g> Research Study for California Agricultural Exporters,” January 31, 2008,<br />
13; Singh, <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>: HRI Food Service Sector, December 14, 2007, 2.<br />
46<br />
Singh, <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>: HRI Food Service Sector, December 14, 2007, 4.<br />
47 Imported seafood, cheeses, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> high-end cuts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lamb are reportedly highly dem<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed by hotels.<br />
USMEF, “<str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s Pork Market,” March 2007, 18.<br />
48 USIBC, written submissi<strong>on</strong> to the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 26, 2009.<br />
49 Agmarknet Web site, http://www.agmarknet.nic.in. Numerous interviews with industry representatives<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>firm that, except for wheat <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> rice, government support programs for most major agricultural<br />
products have little impact <strong>on</strong> prevailing prices.<br />
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