Mittal is playing the WTO card on the French steel investment issue, courtesy of Kamal Nath, Indian trade minister (see Reuters report). From the sidelines, and without any prejudice to the merits of the Indian claims themselves, there is something poetically just about this development. See how Nath almost gleefully employs the WTO jargon so often used against developing countries: 'single undertaking', linking investment with agriculture, 'market opportunities', national treatment etc..
One can but imagine the "Yes Minister" kind of conversations in certain bureaus in Paris and Brussels: "The trade minister of Buranda is quite cross with us, Minister"; "But what is he talking about, Humphrey?"; "Well, Minister, there is this thing called 'national treatment'"; "I know that, Humphrey, but that's a trade thing"; "Yes Sir, but there's also this thing called 'TRIMS'"; "Yes?"; "It makes sure that national treatment applies to "investment measures related to trade in goods"; "But, Humphrey, that was supposed to protect our investors in their markets"; "Yes, Minister, but I don't think we ever made sure that it won't work both ways".
