Govt initiates dialogue with ASEAN members for review of FTA: Goyal

The government has initiated dialogue with ASEAN members for review of the free-trade agreement (FTA) executed 10 years ago, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said the FTA with ASEAN was executed around 10 years ago and "our study shows that we have not been able to get as much benefit out of the FTA".

"We have opened up our market to many other countries to the detriment of India's and Indian coffee growers interests.

"We have already initiated dialogue with ASEAN countries and I am happy to share with the House that ASEAN has agreed for a review of the FTA. We will take up various issues in the review and then we will report to the House," he told the House.

He also said the Coffee Board is trying to develop an Indian brand of coffee for export and the work in this regard is underway.

In his written reply, the minister also said the Government of India through the Coffee Board is undertaking various measures to boost the export of coffee across the world.