7.4.1. Lack of Progress in SAPTA

♤ However, SAPTA could not make any desired progress promotion of intra-regional trade.

♤ The volume of intra-regional trade increased only marginally. The list of concessions offered under SAPTA included 3857 tariff lines but the major limitation was the actual trade coverage of preferential trade granted. The concessions granted by the countries were not substantial enough to increase the overall trade of the region.

♤ Moreover, considering the poor state of relation among the member states of SAARC, SAPTA continued to be a trade arrangement with very limited ambitions.

♤ Commodities that could actually be traded between countries were not included in the positive lists of the countries.

♤ SAPTA had no mechanism to resolve trade related disputes.