Page 5 - Free Trade Agreement

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 ...

New Zealand PM Luxon hasn't given up on dairy in trade deal with India

New Zealand efforts to secure better access to India's huge markets have foundered in the past, in particular because India wants to shield its dairy industry from imports

PM Modi raises concerns with New Zealand PM over pro-Khalistani activities

India and New Zealand on Monday inked an ambitious pact to institutionalise defence ties and vowed to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged concerns to his Kiwi counterpart Christopher Luxon over certain pro-Khalistani elements indulging in anti-India activities in the island nation. Following talks between Modi and Luxon, the two sides signed six agreements to ramp up cooperation in several areas including education, sports, agriculture and climate change, and decided to prepare a roadmap for cooperation in the defence industry sector. Both prime ministers welcomed the launch of negotiations for a "balanced, ambitious, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial" free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries to achieve deeper economic integration. Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Jaideep Mazumdar indicated that the two countries will try to seal the FTA by the end of this year. In his media statement, Modi said Ind

India, New Zealand restart FTA negotiations after a 10-year hiatus

The announcement coincides with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to India

Jaishankar wraps UK visit after 'injecting fresh momentum' into partnership

S Jaishankar concluded the visit with a tour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted by his counterpart Foreign Secretary David Lammy

India, EU to resume FTA talks from March 10 amid Trump tariff concerns

India and the 27-nation European Union (EU) bloc will start the tenth round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement from Monday in Brussels amid Trump tariff threats, according to an official. The talks are expected to focus on resolving remaining issues so that the agreement can be finalised by the end of this year. During the recent visit of EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, the two sides have discussed ways to accelerate efforts towards a balanced and mutually beneficial trade pact. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month agreed to conclude the ambitious India-EU free trade deal by this year amid fears of the Trump administration's threat of higher tariffs. "The two sides are scheduled to hold the tenth round of negotiations for the FTA from March 10-14 in Brussels," the official said. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed the negotiations after a gap of over eight .

Our govt works very closely with India to reduce trade barriers: Southwell

It's been successful for both countries, not just for Australian exports to India but also for Indian exports to Australia, John Southwell said

Free trade agreement tariff concessions cost India Rs 94,172 crore in FY25

Customs revenue set to face greater strain as country pursues more trade pacts

Shift towards developed markets: India's FTA needle turns to the West

Indian industry always preferred to have deeper trade relations with traditional markets - EU and the US- as it offers industry greater complementarity

India, EU to push for long-pending free trade agreement by 2025-end

The trade deal will be accompanied with pacts on investment protection and geographical indicators

EU pushes for tariff cuts on whiskey, wine, cars in India trade talks

The EU seeks lower tariffs as India's biggest FTA nears finalisation after nine rounds of talks, with the next set for March 10-14, boosting access for textiles, leather, and marine exports

India, UK trade pact 'genuinely beneficial' for both: British trade secy

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom is "genuinely beneficial" to both countries as it would help boost bilateral trade and investments, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said on Tuesday. India and the UK on Monday announced resumption of negotiations for the FTA, which is expected to double or even triple bilateral trade from the current USD 20 billion in the next 10 years. Reynolds met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss about the agreement. After concluding the two-day talks with the Indian minister, Reynolds said: "This is about an agreement which is genuinely beneficial to both countries. That is possible. That's the prize. Getting it right is what we are here to do, and that's what we are working very hard towards". Terming it a "substantial" agreement, he said these pacts make a "real difference if you" get them right. The negotiations are resuming after a gap of over eight months. The t

India, UK resume negotiations for FTA, aims to triple trade in 10 years

India and the UK on Monday discussed to advance the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations while ensuring that the pact is balanced, ambitious and mutually beneficial. In a post on X, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties. He held a meeting with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds here. "During the meeting, our discussions focused on advancing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations and ensuring that the agreement is balanced, ambitious and mutually beneficial," Goyal said. The India-UK FTA negotiations were launched on January 13, 2022. The agreement is aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments. In such pacts, two countries either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on maximum goods traded between them. They also ease norms for promoting trade in services and bilateral investments. The bilateral trade between India and

India-Qatar potential FTA must be approached with caution, says GTRI

India should tread cautiously on a potential free trade agreement (FTA) with Qatar, particularly in the petrochemical sector as both countries are strong in this segment, economic think tank GTRI said on Wednesday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) added that India should ensure that tariff concessions on petrochemicals and energy-related imports do not undermine domestic industries. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the two sides agreed to explore the possibility of entering into a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with an aim to double bilateral trade to USD 28 billion by 2030. Normally in a CEPA, a kind of free trade agreement (FTA), two trading partners either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum number of goods (90-95 per cent) traded between them. Besides, they ease norms to promote trade in services and boost