   
  
WT/COMTD/RTA25/N/1  
 
13 October 2022  
(22-7673) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  
 Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENT  
This notification, originally circulated on 2 July 2008 in document WT/COMTD/N/ 28, is being 
re-circulated in accordance with the new symbols for notifications and subsequent documentation 
relating to regional trade agreements agreed to by the Committee on Trade and Development at 
its 108th Session on 5  April 2019.  
 
1. Member(s) notifying:  
India 
2. Date of notification:  
30 June 20 08 
3. Notification pursuant to:  
[   ] Article XXIV:7(a) of GATT 1994  
[   ] Article V:7(a) of GATS  
[ X ] Paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause  
4. Parties to the Agreement:  
India and Bhutan  
5. Date of signature:  
28 July 2006  
6. Date(s) of entry into Force:  
29 July 2006  
7. Brief description of the Agreement:  
The Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between the Government of 
the Republic of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan was signed on 28 July 2006 
and is operational from 29 July 2006 for a period of ten years. The salient features of the 
Agreement are:  
(i) The Agreement seeks to promote free trade and commerce between the 
two countries;  
(ii) Bhutan may, however, impose non -tariff restrictions on import of certain goods of 
Indian origin for protection of industries in Bhutan;  
(iii) All exports of and imports to Bhutan from third countries will be free from and not 
subject to customs duties and trade restrictions of India. Under the Agreement 
India provides for 16 exit/entry points for this purpose;  
(iv) Both sides may impose non -tariff restrictions on import of third country goods from 
each other's territory;  
(v) Trade transactions in Indian Rupees or Bhutanese Ngultrums;  WT/COMTD/RTA25/N/1  
 
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  (vi) Mutual refund annually of the excise duties on goods exported to each other;  
(vii) The new agreement also provides for movement of Bhutanese goods from one part 
of Bhutan to another part of Bhutan through India.  
8. Text and related schedules, annexes and protocols are:  
[   ] submitted to the WTO Secretariat (electronic format)  
[ X ] available from the following official Internet link(s):  
http://www.commerce.nic.in  under the sub heading 'Trade Agreements ' and 
'India-Bhutan Trade Agreement'  
 
 
__________  