Page 14 - Free Trade Agreement

EFTA deal with India could be signed before 2024 elections: Swiss envoy

Switzerland's Ambassador to India, Ralf Heckner, has expressed optimism that the crucial European Free Trade Association (EFTA) deal with the country would be wrapped up before the 2024 general elections. Heckner stressed on the importance of the proposed trade deal for unlocking innovation and investment opportunities. "Both sides have been negotiating very closely and seriously over the last more than 12 months. I remain positive that the deal would be wrapped up before the (2024) elections," he told PTI. The envoy was recently in the city to unveil the Kolkata chapter of the Swiss-India Chamber of Commerce. Parliamentary elections in India are due in early 2024. "If India wants innovation, it needs to work with about 12 to 15 countries, and one of those countries is Switzerland for a world of investments and innovation," We will have a more strategic innovation relationship with India, Heckner stated. India and the EFTA states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland

Tariff tussle: UK delegation reaches out to Siam to quell FTA doubts

Holds meets with industry representatives; agreement at advanced stage

India shares natural synergy with Nordic-Baltic nations to expand ties: EAM

Jaishankar noted the important role played by the Nordic Baltic countries as leaders in innovation, start-ups, tech applications and digital progress

Here's why India and UK are acting like cowards on the free trade agreement

Indian negotiators are pushing for strict "rules of origin" checks for tradable goods, to make sure that any FTA benefits apply only to goods made predominantly in Britain

Next round of India, UK talks for free trade agreement expected soon

Chief negotiators of India and the UK are expected to soon hold next round of talks for the proposed free trade agreement to iron out differences on issues such as automobiles, medical devices, and movement of professionals, an official said. The official said that the UK team may come here for the 14th round of negotiations so that the talks can be concluded at the earliest. "Virtual sessions are progressing. But we are planning for a full fledged round of talks. In the full round, both sides discuss all the chapters. Some 60-70 sessions happen parallelly," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. Issues which need resolution include rules of origin; intellectual property rights (IPRs); social security agreement; duty concessions on electric vehicles, scotch whiskey, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items; liberalisation of norms in services sectors like banking and insurance. Talks are also progressing on the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT). Th

Jaishankar, Cameron discuss progressing India-UK Free Trade Agreement

The duo also discussed shared global challenges, including the situation in Israel and Gaza and the war between Russia and Ukraine

India-UK trade deal: Prospects & challenges

Could a successful negotiation herald a new era in their modest trade relationship?

The Diwali deadline

India-UK FTA needs to be expedited

India, UK see free-trade deal possibly in December after poll results

There isn't any firm deadline but an announcement could be made after the vote concludes and results are out December 3

Eye on free-trade agreement, India seeks Eurasian bloc trade data

The pact, if materialised, will strengthen the bilateral commercial relationship between India and Russia

India negotiates for UK carbon tax concessions in proposed FTA deal

FTA talks in final stage, but some differences still remain

UK-India FTA: Electric vehicles market access sparks differences

The UK government has asked India to allow exporting a limited number of fully assembled EVs to India with no customs duty

India, UK free trade deal unlikely to finalise by month end: Report

Both sides already missed the Diwali deadline last year former set by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

India needs to be cautious of carbon levy in FTA, says GTRI report

India must make domestic rules and standards before taking commitments under the FTAs on non-trade issues

India-Peru to recommence free trade agreement negotiation on Tuesday

There will also be discussions on services, the movement of people, and the investment chapter later in the month based on the mutual convenience of the negotiators

India, Bangladesh discuss preparations to start talks for free trade pact

India and Bangladesh have discussed preparations to start talks for a free trade agreement between the two countries to promote economic ties, an official statement said on Sunday. It was discussed during an official-level meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG) between India and Bangladesh, which was held last week in Dhaka. The meeting "discussed a host of bilateral issues such as removal of port restrictions, ground work on commencement of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), harmonization of standards, and mutual recognition of standards, supply of essential commodities to Bangladesh," the commerce ministry said. CEPA is a kind of free trade agreement, under which two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them. Besides, they also ease norms to promote trade in services and investments. They also deliberated upon issues related to development of road and rail infrastructure, regio

India and UK free-trade agreement negotiations to resume on Monday

Negotiations for Canada deal only after resolution of political issues

Will only agree India trade deal approach that works for UK: Rishi Sunak

The free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India are progressing and Britain will only agree to a pact that works for the whole of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told his ministers. Ahead of his first visit to India as UK Prime Minister to attend the G20 World Leaders' Summit in New Delhi later this week, Sunak updated his top team on the ongoing trade talks, which have completed 12 rounds of negotiations, during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The British Indian leader described India as an indispensable partner of the UK across all spheres of bilateral cooperation, which he is keen to strengthen further. He said negotiations around a free trade deal were progressing and that he would only agree to an approach which worked for the whole of the UK, notes a Downing Street readout of the Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister said India was an indispensable partner of the UK, both economically and in addressing the global challenges all democracies are facing. He said we mu

India, UK to take stock of FTA at 'higher level' by end of the month

US raises concerns over India's decision to put import restrictions on laptops, PCs

FTA talks: Treaty to figure prominently during UK's high-level team visit

Issues pertaining to the proposed bilateral investment treaty being negotiated between India and the UK along with a free trade agreement will figure prominently during the visit of a high-level team from Britain here, an official said. UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch and Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Amanda Brooks are visiting India this week. Besides participating in the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Jaipur on August 24-25, the UK minister will hold bilateral talks with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on August 26 here and review the progress of talks on the free trade agreement. The UK minister is also expected to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on various issues, including the bilateral investment treaty. Brooks would also meet senior officials of the department of economic affairs in the finance ministry, which is leading the negotiations on the investment