As the world watched India’s bold military action under ‘Operation Sindoor’, the country made an equally calculated and impactful move on the global economic stage.
The free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK will help double India's ready-made garment exports to Britain in the next three years, AEPC said on Wednesday. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Sudhir Sekhri said that against the backdrop of demand contraction in major economies, Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel-Hamas war, American reciprocal tariff and Chinese belligerence, there was uncertainty and disruption impacting the global trade adversely. "This deal has come as a boon, removing immediately tariff disadvantage of 9.6 per cent and making us competitive in the UK market. Now the Made in India ready-made garment will be cheaper on UK shelves and we will be at par with some of our major competitors who enjoyed duty-free access in the UK market," he said. India is the fourth largest supplier of garments with a 6.1 per cent share of the total RMG import of the UK. The exports to the UK from India grew 7.8 per cent to USD 1.4 billion in 2024-25. "With this deal in place
India-UK trade pact to halve Scotch whisky import duty to 75 per cent initially, then 40 per cent over 10 years; move expected to cut prices, boost exports, FDI, and premium brand access
Duplication of social security contributions to be nixed too
IT industry body Nasscom said securing the DCC within the India-UK FTA is a crucial step and a big win for the Indian IT industry
Medical-device makers apprehensive due to the China factor
The development follows Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to London, where he was on a two-day trip starting Monday
I think there is a dedication, commitment to the FTA between India and Europe, he said
India and the European Union (EU) are exploring the option of negotiating their free trade agreement (FTA) in phases amidst an uncertain global trade environment following imposition of sweeping tariffs by the US, an official said. India has followed the practice of negotiating such trade pacts in two phases with Australia. Negotiating the FTA in two phases allows both sides to first conclude areas where agreement can be reached more easily. Complex issues can be dealt with at a later stage. "FTA in tranches are being explored with the EU," the official said. The two sides concluded the 10th round of negotiations in Brussels last month for the proposed agreement. The next round of talks is expected in May here. The official added that after the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with the EU College of Commissioners or senior political leaders of the bloc here, the talks are moving in a positive direction and the momentum is also building. According to tra
Developed countries are indicating that they are ready to proceed with negotiations for proposed free trade agreements (FTAs) without insisting much on the inclusion of non-trade issues like sustainability and climate obligations, according to sources. They said gradually those countries are suggesting that "let's start business first, we will look into the rest of the extraneous issues later". In a free trade agreement negotiations, trading partners should keep all the options open so that things can move smoothly. Major countries that used to pressure on issues like sustainability and climate have now gone quiet, one of the sources said. India has always maintained issues like sustainability, labour, and the environment should be addressed in separate forums or international platforms rather than being integrated into trade agreements. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is there for for labour standards, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNF
The amendments in the customs rules to tighten checks on goods imported under free trade agreements (FTAs) could make it harder for businesses to do imports at concessional duties and may increase compliance cost, economic think tank GTRI said on Sunday. However, it said the move would curb the misuse of FTAs as India has seen repeated instances where goods originating from non-FTA countries, such as China, were rerouted through FTA member countries like Vietnam or Singapore to exploit preferential duty benefits. On March 18, the Ministry of Finance issued a notification, introducing amendments to the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 (CAROTAR). The amendment replaces the term, "Certificate of Origin" (CoO), with a broader term, "Proof of Origin", across various rules and forms under the CAROTAR framework, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. "This change comes in conflict with the several existing FTAs with ASEAN etc where
He said that with the developments in the world, it was more likely that in a very short period of time, India could sign multiple FTAs
Long-drawn negotiations that take years often result in businesses losing interest in trade talks. However, focusing on core trade issues can help India navigate complex negotiations more efficiently
Goyal said that there are hardly any areas where both countries compete. However, there are a few areas of sensitivity, but they can be navigated with mutual respect
FTC reverses claim of resource constraints, says Amazon trial will proceed as scheduled despite DOGE-driven budget cuts and staff reductions under the Trump administration
New Delhi working on ways to reduce average applied tariff
It's been successful for both countries, not just for Australian exports to India but also for Indian exports to Australia, John Southwell said
The Survey provides an outlook and overview of evolving EU-India bilateral trade and investment ties as well as offers an insight into the opportunities and challenges faced by European businesses
Customs revenue set to face greater strain as country pursues more trade pacts
Indian industry always preferred to have deeper trade relations with traditional markets - EU and the US- as it offers industry greater complementarity