NEW DELHI : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called for open borders, saying trading across national boundaries is an “economic imperative of our times” and that barriers to free trade should be dismantled. The comments come amid growing concerns over tariff wars across the world, especially after the US initiated a slew of actions against select goods to address its trade balance with select countries, including a few items like steel from the country.

 

“Trading across borders is an economic imperative of our times and this is going to increase with the times to come,” Jaitley said at the 80th World Customs Organisation Policy Commissionerate meeting here through a video link. “It is in the larger interest of every Country to make sure that trade barriers are brought down to the extent it is possible,” he said.