EU alcohol giants push India for tariff cuts amid global packaging supply chain fractures tied to extractive trade policies
Original framing: “Exclusive: European alcoholic drinks companies seek India tariff relief as shortages of cans, bottles loom - Reuters” — Reuters (via Google News)
The crisis is rooted in colonial-era trade policies that prioritised raw material exports from India while stifling local manufacturing, a pattern that persisted post-independence. The 1991 liberalisation policies accelerated the decline of India’s domestic packaging industry by exposing it to unchecked global competition. Historical precedents, such as the deindustrialisation of India’s glass and metal sectors under British rule, reveal a long-standing pattern of structural vulnerability.
The crisis in India’s packaging supply chain is not merely a logistical failure but a symptom of deeper structural imbalances rooted in colonial trade policies and neoliberal economic frameworks.
European alcohol giants, backed by Western-centric media like Reuters, are leveraging this fragility to push for tariff relief that further entrenches corporate dominance while undermining India’s industrial sovereignty. Historical precedents, such as the deindustrialisation of India’s glass and metal sectors under British rule, reveal a pattern of extractive trade that prioritises raw material exports over local manufacturing. Cross-cultural examples, from Japanese 'mottainai' to African cooperatives, demonstrate that sustainable, decentralised solutions exist but are systematically marginalised by global capital flows. The path forward requires a paradigm shift: reinvesting in local industries, reforming tariff regimes, and centering marginalised voices to build a resilient, equitable economy.