Free Trade Agreement

Under the India-New Zealand FTA's Financial Services Annex, India has offered higher FDI limits in banking and insurance and a simpler licensing regime for foreign bank branches

The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand will help diversify exports, and attract investments in areas like agriculture, experts said. The conclusion of negotiations for the pact was announced on December 22. It is likely to be signed and implemented next year. India and New Zealand on Monday said they have concluded talks on a free trade deal that will give India tariff-free access to the island nation's markets, bring in USD 20 billion of investment over the next 15 years and help double bilateral trade in goods and services the next five years to USD 5 billion. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President S C Ralhan said upon entry into force, the free trade agreement (FTA) will provide zero-duty access on 100 per cent of India's exports, with tariff elimination across all tariff lines or product categories. "It will enhance the competitiveness of Indian products in the New Zealand market and provide a major boost to employment-generating sector

Today's Best of BS Opinion looks at India's evolving trade strategy, rising tensions with Bangladesh, lessons from China's manufacturing boom, food loss challenges, and the impact of digital platforms

Wellington commits to $20 bn FDI in 15 years; dairy items excluded

An FTA has also been agreed upon with the United Kingdom (UK), which means that India now has formal trade pacts with three of the five Anglosphere economies

Government officials said that India and the EU are continuing to engage with each other to narrow the differences and close the free trade agreement (FTA) talks at the earliest

Having missed the 'fall' deadline, India is aiming to conclude the first tranche of the trade deal before the end of the calendar year

India is at present negotiating free trade agreements with a number of trading partners, including the US and European Union, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. India is working with its 'trusted' trading partners through these agreements to boost economic ties, he said. "We have all seen trade being weaponised. We have all seen the importance of having trusted partners around the world," he said, adding that at this moment, India is in talks with individual countries and groups of nations totalling about 50. The remarks come at a time when a steep hike in tariffs by the US has disrupted global trade. The Donald Trump administration has imposed a 50 per cent import duty on Indian goods entering American markets since August 27. The minister informed that GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) too is interested in trade pact talks. GCC is a union of six countries in the Gulf region Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. New Delhi has already implemen

India and Canada have agreed to resume negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with an aim to increase the two-way trade to USD 50 billion by 2030, according to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. A FTA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has many strategic elements to it and it is a demonstration of the trust between the two countries, Goyal said here at an event on Monday. The pact would give confidence to investors, businesses of both sides, he said. "We have agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition CEPA and double the trade between the two nations by 2030," he said, adding the two countries are natural allies and do not compete with each other. The strengths of India and Canada can become a force multiplier for businesses and investors, Goyal said. "There is a lot that we can learn from Canada and a lot we can offer Canada. There is a lot of potential on critical minerals, critical minerals processing technologies. There is a good ...

A proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between Israel and India will open up significant business opportunities for industries in both countries and boost bilateral trade and investment flows, Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said. He said that the two countries have signed terms of references (ToRs) on November 20 here to start negotiations for the agreement. Barkat said that both counties have decided not to include sensitive areas in the FTA negotiations. "Huge opportunities are there to boost trade and investments between the two countries. We are going to see huge growth in business," Barkat told PTI. He added that a lot of Israeli companies are interested in opening up subsidiaries in India, which can act as a gateway to Asia for them. "People are now understanding that there are big opportunities (in India) because India's tomorrow is not the India of yesterday," he said, adding India is well positioned to compete with China. The elements of ToRs include mar

Automakers told the Heavy Industries Ministry that high investment thresholds, tough localisation rules, and pending India-EU FTA talks are deterring participation in the EV promotion scheme

Three years after India and Australia signed an interim trade deal, the two sides are moving decidedly towards a full-fledged free trade agreement. They have rising US tariffs to contend with

During week-long India-EU FTA negotiations, New Delhi pressed for predictable implementation of the EU's carbon tax and proposed steel regulation to ensure balanced trade terms

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India will not compromise on sensitive sectors like dairy and MSMEs in its proposed trade pact with New Zealand, where talks have seen major progress

Goyal expects both sides to make substantial progress towards closure by Dec

Exporters in Rajasthan are expecting a sharp rise in gems, jewellery, handicrafts and textiles shipments to the United Kingdom once the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India comes into effect. As part of the FTA, which was signed in July this year and is likely to come into effect next year, duties on 99 per cent exports to the UK will be reduced to zero. Jaipur-based jeweller K B Goyal of Dwarka Jewellers said the removal of the 3-3.5 per cent duty on jewellery items in the UK will give Indian jewellers a strong edge in global markets. "The duty removal will help jewellers in sales and marketing of jewellery samples abroad... We will give tough competition to China, Thailand, and Hong Kong," Goyal told PTI on Wednesday. He said India's estimated export of gold, silver, and platinum jewellery to the UK stands around USD 400 million, with Rajasthan contributing nearly 40 per cent. "We expect this export to increase 1.5 times in the next 2-3 years," he added. Trade policy expert Ri

Disagreements relate to market access for goods and also investment, trade, and sustainable development

Several UK businesses see the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India as a "game-changer" as they accelerate expansion plans and a majority of firms without a presence move to enter the market, according to a new report. According to Grant Thornton's latest International Business Report' (IBR) analysis from last week, 72 per cent of UK firms now identify India as a key market for international growth, up from 61 per cent last year, signalling India's "shift to the centre of global strategy conversations". The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit in July, is expected to significantly enhance the 44.1-billion-pound bilateral trading partnership once it is ratified by the British Parliament in the coming months. The IBR report found that while only 28 per cent of businesses surveyed currently operate in India, 73 per cent of those without a current presence plan to enter the market, including 13 per cent within

The free trade agreement between India and the UK will help boost the country's exports and attract investments from Britain, according to experts. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed on July 24 and is likely to come into force next year. Gulzar Didwania, Partner, Deloitte India, said the signing of the CETA is expected to deliver significant gains for India by boosting exports, attracting investments, and providing duty-free market access for nearly 99 per cent of Indian exports across key sectors, such as textiles, automotive components, footwear, and pharmaceuticals. "A key highlight of the agreement also lies in the service sector, where it will open wider opportunities for Indian IT, financial, healthcare, and professional service providers in the UK market," he added. Additionally, Didwania said, the pact will facilitate smoother movement of skilled professionals, promote mutual recognition of qualifications, and strengthen collaboration in ...

Tariffs on many imports from the Efta nations will be eliminated, and the duties on Indian exports to those countries were not very high anyway