UPSC Prelims 2024 Q92: US Apple Imports & GM Food Rules — Explained
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
India does not import apples from the United States of America.
Statement-II:
In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
- Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Statement-wise explanation
- Statement-I: incorrect — India does import apples from the USA. In 2019 India put an extra 20% retaliatory duty on US apples after the US raised tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium. This made US apples costlier, but it did not ban them. Imports fell from US$145 million (127,908 tonnes) in FY 2018-19 to US$5.27 million (4,486 tonnes) in FY 2022-23. After the June 2023 settlement of WTO disputes, India removed the extra 20% duty. The normal MFN duty of 50% still applies to US apples, as it does to apples from every other country.
- Statement-II: correct — Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 says no one may make, sell, distribute or import genetically modified articles of food except as the Act allows. GM food also needs prior approval from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) under the 1989 Rules made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Customs releases food consignments only after FSSAI clearance. Statement-I is false, so Statement-II cannot explain it. US apples were taxed more heavily, not shut out by GM law.
How to eliminate
Statement-II is safe from basic knowledge. India regulates GM organisms tightly through GEAC and FSSAI, and no GM food crop has been approved for sale in India. Most candidates can mark it correct with confidence. That leaves two possible answers: both statements are correct with or without the link, or only Statement-II is correct. Statement-I is an absolute claim: India 'does not import' apples from the US at all. A total ban on an ordinary farm product from a major trading partner is rare. India's tools against US apples were tariffs, not bans. The 2023 news about removing the 20% retaliatory duty on US apples only makes sense if the apples were still coming in. If you remember that news, Statement-I falls straight away. Without it, the absolute wording is your best clue. Fact to remember: India taxes US apples (50% MFN duty, plus an extra 20% from 2019 to 2023); it does not ban them.
Know more
How India controls farm imports: tariffs versus regulatory gates
India has two different tools for agricultural imports, and Prelims often mixes them up.
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Tariffs (price tool). Every WTO member charges a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty, applied equally to all partners. On apples it is 50%. A country can add retaliatory duties on one partner. In 2019 India placed extra duties on 28 US products, including a 20% extra duty on apples and walnuts. This was a response to US Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium. In June 2023 India and the US settled six WTO disputes through mutually agreed solutions, and India withdrew the extra duties on eight US products. While the extra duty applied, Turkey, Iran, Italy, Chile and New Zealand took over much of the US share of India's apple market.
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Regulatory gates (permission tool). GM food cannot enter without approval, whatever the tariff.
| Layer | Law / body | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Biosafety | EP Act 1986 → 1989 Rules; GEAC (MoEFCC) | Approves GMOs and LMOs, including imports |
| Food safety | FSS Act 2006, Sec. 22; FSSAI | Bars sale or import of GM food except as the Act allows |
| Trade policy | DGFT import policy, ITC(HS) | Requires GEAC approval for GM imports |
| Border check | FSSAI order, 2021 | 24 imported crops, including apple, need a 'non-GM origin cum GM-free' certificate (1% adventitious-presence limit) |
Takeaway: A high or extra tariff reduces imports. Only a regulatory gate can stop them. For US apples, India used tariffs, and GM rules apply only through certification.
In the news
During the Prime Minister's US visit in June 2023, India and the US agreed to settle six WTO disputes. India then withdrew its 2019 retaliatory duties on US apples, walnuts and almonds, notified in September 2023. Himachal and J&K growers protested, and the Commerce Ministry issued clarifications. This put 'US apples' in the news just before the 2024 Prelims.