NEW DELHI, Nov 29

Union steel minister Mr Virbhadra Singh today called for a ban on iron ore exports, saying that the country must take lessons from neighbouring China and the US for using finite natural resources judiciously.

India has world's fifth-largest estimated reserves of iron ore at about 25 billion tons, of which only a fraction is minable.

Hoping to expand bilateral trade of goods and services, India and Turkey have formed a joint study group to evaluate the potential strengthening of commerce between themselves.

With focus changing from quantity to quality tea production, Tocklai Experimental Station (TES) of Tea Research Association (TRA), is in the advance stage of developing four clones.

NEW DELHI: Environmentalists have demanded that the Union Environment and Commerce Ministries take a fresh look at laws governing trade of hazardous waste and ban its import.

Toxics Watch Alliance has expressed deep concern over the global toxics and health crisis and urged the Union Government to make every effort to look at effectively banning hazardous waste exports from various countries.

NEW DELHI: The foreign trade policy announced last year could be amended after the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) has completed its review of individual export sectors.

The review report will identify policy related problems and other hurdles and is expected in August, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said.

Ban Applicable In Special Economic Zones Too

THE government on Thursday banned FDI in cigarette manufacturing, shutting the doors permanently on foreign companies such as Japan Tobacco, BAT and the Altria Group.

The decision leaves the cigarette market wide open for Indian manufacturers such as ITC, which has about three-fourths of market share in this segment.

Andhra Pradesh tobacco farmers have written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asking her to facilitate the banning of foreign direct investment (FDI) in cigarette manufacturing. With one letter from the commerce ministry already having been presented before the Cabinet in support of the ban, the ministry has been directed to put its position in writing again, this time by the party leader.

After the public feuding over Bt brinjal, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is at the centre of another policy dispute with ministries of road transport and commerce for holding up critical development and industrial projects.

A file picture of an export oriented unit in Coimbatore.

Arun S.

The Commerce Ministry has rejected a proposal to extend the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the export sector saying it is not feasible.