The challenges to the growth of foreign trade in the Northeast were today highlighted in a meet attended by the Director General of Foreign Trade and members of Federation of Indian Export Organisations and Federation of Industries and Commerce of Northeast Region. Several issues, including extension of special support to exporters and importers in the Northeast were discussed in some detail. The Director General of Foreign Trade, RS Gujral in his address assured that those involved in foreign trade in the region would have necessary support from the Union Government. But at the same time, he said that the initiatives must come from the local people. Pointing out that the volume and value of export items barring tea and coal was rather inconsequential, he said that there was much that would have to be done to alter the situation. In his view, foreign trade from this region could take help from some of the existing Government schemes, which was all part of a stable policy regime. Support to horticulture and floriculture was a major component of this system. On the formation of a task force to promote foreign trade, Gujral said that he favoured the idea of members from the Northeast States, who could identify the areas of concern in the existing scenario. Supporting the formation of trade links between the Northeast and Southeast Asia, he felt it would give a boost to exports by giving access to ports. He, however, stated that there are political aspects which would have to be taken care of before trade could actually take place. Delivering the keynote address, Sudip Dey, the FINER vice president lamented that the voice of Northeast in regard to foreign trade has never reached the authorities in New Delhi. He revealed that most of the export activities in the Northeast suffered because of lack of Governmental support. In one of the most distressing cases, exporters had to bear the charge of bringing in empty containers before those could be used to despatch their consignments. He said that such a practice has badly affected tea exporters. He further drew the Director General's attention to the fact that some of the subsidised rates available to some sectors "were history' in the face of rising input costs. Likewise, the transport subsidy available to the traders was also termed inadequate. Noting that the Northeast shared 98 per cent of its borders with foreign countries, he regretted that foreign trade was still nowhere near substantial. In this context he wanted that the Union Government's authorities concerned treat the Northeast as a special subject. Dey was critical of the State Government's role vis-