Page 4 - Free Trade Agreement

Smartphones, electric vehicles off limits in India-UK free trade agreement

Government officials said that while the deal was concluded on Tuesday, implementation could take over 15 months

UK unveils historic US trade deal at Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover factory

Days after confirming a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday chose a Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factory in northern England to announce a historic trade deal with the US. Following a phone call with President Donald Trump, Starmer addressed JLR workers in Solihull to highlight the "big win" for the automotive industry as a result of car export tariffs being cut from 27.5 per cent to 10 per cent. This will apply to a quota of 100,000 UK cars, almost the total number Britain exported last year. We are the first country to secure such a deal with the United States and in an era with global insecurity and instability that is so important, said Starmer. We are sending a message to the world that Britain is open for business, striking trade agreements with India on Tuesday, with the US today and working to boost trade with other partners too, including of course the EU (European Union) with whom we have a really ..

India, Chile ink terms of reference for comprehensive free trade pact

India and Chile on Thursday signed terms of reference (ToRs) to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement. The two countries implemented a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in 2006 and are now planning to widen its scope for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). An expanded PTA was subsequently signed in September 2016 and became effective from May 16, 2017. In April 2019, both countries agreed to pursue a further expansion of the PTA. To deepen their economic engagement, both sides expressed their intention to negotiate a CEPA to unlock the full potential of their trade and commercial relationship, boosting employment, facilitating investment promotion, and cooperation and exports, the commerce ministry said. The CEPA aims to build upon the existing PTA between the two nations and seeks to encompass a broader range of sectors, including digital services, investment promotion and cooperation, MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), and critical ...

India-UK trade deal signals that globalisation momentum remains strong

This agreement clearly reflects the importance of political momentum and compromise

US could be on losing side in the test of wills with China: Claude Smadja

There are limits to India-EU FTA, EU lobbies want protection, don't think will meet the timeline

India's meat, shrimp exporters hope for new markets with India-UK FTA

Indian exporters expect a rise in meat, shrimp, and spirits demand in the UK as tariff removal under the Free Trade Agreement opens access to South-East Asian diaspora

India-UK FTA: Automobile stocks up after the signing of trade deal

The auto-component industry which exports around $757 mn worth of parts to that country may benefit from the trade deal

No duty cuts by India on diamond, smartphones, fibres in UK trade pact

India seals FTA with UK but keeps duty shield on EVs, smartphones, diamonds, and other key goods to protect domestic industry and manufacturing base

India-UK FTA: From auto to textiles, India Inc hopes to reap benefits

Medical-device makers apprehensive due to the China factor

India-EU trade pact to address tariff and non-tariff barriers equally

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says India-EU trade deal to focus on tariff and non-tariff barriers alike, with both sides targeting a meaningful pact by end of 2025

India stresses focus on non-tariff barriers, import duty in EU trade talks

India has emphasised that resolving non-tariff barriers faced by businesses is as important as addressing import duty issues for meaningful progress in talks on the proposed free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), an official statement said on Friday. The progress of the talks was discussed during the meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. Both leaders also reaffirmed their shared resolve to conclude the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025. "India emphasised that meaningful progress in trade negotiations requires an equal focus on Non-tariff Barriers (NTBs) alongside tariff (import duty) discussions and regulatory frameworks must be inclusive, proportionate, and avoid restricting trade," the commerce ministry said. The country has earlier on multiple occasions flagged NTBs being faced by domestic industry in the European Union markets

India-US BTA: Officials discuss opportunities for 'early mutual wins'

Chief negotiator and commerce secretary designate Rajesh Agrawal, who headed a team of commerce department officials, held talks with his counterpart in Washington during April 23-25

Piyush Goyal meets UK counterpart Reynolds to resolve pending FTA issues

Government officials said that the trade deal talks between India and the UK are inching towards conclusion

Expect India to strike first trade pact: US Treasury Secy Scott Bessent

Trump said India may reduce its high tariffs as part of the bilateral deal

India-UK trade deal: Indian team may visit London to fix pending issues

India and the UK are trying to speed up discussions on the trade agreement amid fast-changing geopolitical landscape and America's protectionist trade policies

India-US proposed trade pact's terms of reference include 19 chapters

The terms of references (ToRs) finalized by India and the US for the proposed bilateral trade agreement include around 19 chapters covering issues such as goods, services, and customs facilitation, official sources said. To give further impetus to the talks, an Indian official team is visiting Washington next week to iron out differences on certain issues before formally launching negotiations for the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA). India's chief negotiator, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, will lead the team for the first in-person talks between the two countries. Agrawal was appointed as the next commerce secretary on April 18. He will assume office from October 1. The three-day Indian official team's talks with the US counterparts in Washington will start from Wednesday (April 23), the official said. The visit, which comes within weeks of a high-level US team visiting India, indicates that the talks for the BTA are gaining ..

Trade and Trump: Time to counter tariffs with global cooperation

Mr Trump thrives on uncertainty; he likes to keep the world agog, guessing what comes next

India, EU to negotiate FTA by year-end, says German envoy Ackermann

I think there is a dedication, commitment to the FTA between India and Europe, he said

Sitharaman to visit London from Apr 8-10; FTA talks may figure in meetings

Issues pertaining to the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) and bilateral investment treaty between India and the UK are expected to figure during the three-day visit of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to London from April 8-10, official sources said. The minister would be attending a host of meetings, including India-United Kingdom Economic and Financial Dialogue, in London. Sitharaman is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and other British ministers. "Issues pertaining to the trade agreement and bilateral investment treaty (BIT) may also come up for discussions between the two," the official said. On February 24, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds announced resumption of negotiations for the proposed FTA between the two countries. The India-UK negotiations are resuming after a gap of over eight months. The talks were launched on January 13, 2022. S

India must tread carefully in US trade talks amid legislative risks: GTRI

India must be cautious while negotiating the proposed bilateral trade agreement with the US, as the absence of Fast Track Trade Authority in America makes any pact vulnerable to Congressional changes, economic think tank GTRI said on Tuesday. It also said that the certification process allows the US to effectively re-negotiate the trade agreement after it is signed, demanding domestic legal changes, regulatory reforms, and policy shifts that could undermine India's sovereignty. "As negotiations continue, the path forward demands not only diplomatic skill but also vigilance against legal asymmetries embedded in America's trade playbook," Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Founder Ajay Srivastava said. Without the Fast Track Authority in place and with the precedent of post-agreement certification allowing the US to impose additional demands, the risk of asymmetric obligations is real, he added. The US Fast Track Trade Authority (also known as Trade Promotion Authority) is a ...