Page 15 - India Trade

Rolls-Royce widens role in India-UK Electric Propulsion capability talks

New Delhi and London are moving together purposefully to develop marine electric propulsion. This was evident in the second meeting of the India-UK EPCP-JWG, in New Delhi on November 21

Curbs on Russian diamonds by G7 to have minimal impact on India: Govt

The government on Friday said G7 nation's decision to impose curbs on direct imports of Russian-origin diamonds will have a minimal impact on India's diamond trade, a government official said on Friday. Indian officials are continuously in touch with the G7 technical team on the issue and they have managed to resolve certain issues like checking of diamonds at only one place. The G7 leaders have decided to introduce import restrictions on non-industrial diamonds, mined, processed, or produced in Russia, from January 1, 2024, followed by further phased restrictions on the import of Russian diamonds processed in third countries from March 1, 2024. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said as long as diamonds are processed in India, there should not be further checks on that because India can maintain tracking of rough diamonds. "In that respect perhaps, it is a respite to our diamond industry. They will not be put through double check," he said. Explaining further, joint secretary in t

India-UK FTA talks: Trying to balance mobility, migration concerns

After a high-level UK delegation visited India to iron out the differences, currently, an Indian delegation is in London to advance discussions

India's domestic aviation capacity soars beyond pre-pandemic level

The top 20 domestic markets, according to OAG, account for 88 per cent of the global domestic travel capacity with nine countries now reaching 2019 levels once again

Ahead of India-Asean FTA review: Industry flags spike in import of 38 items

Import of as many as 38 items from Asean members sees a sharp surge in H1FY24

PM Rishi Sunak's officials in Delhi to discuss India-UK FTA: Report

Senior officials from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's team are in New Delhi this week to add momentum behind the ongoing round of negotiations for an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), according to a UK media report on Saturday. The Guardian' newspaper reports that while there is no official comment from either side on such a visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is keen to finalise the FTA by the end of February before Sunak sets off on an expected general election campaign trail. Both countries are heading into an election year in 2024 and signing off on a trade agreement with India will bolster Sunak's electoral pitch to voters showing signs of anti-incumbency towards his governing Conservatives. The deal is still very much on and we think it is possible before both countries have their elections. Both sides are keen to get this done, an official close to the talks told the newspaper. The India-UK FTA talks began in January last year with Diwali 2022 set as t

$40 billion apparel exports target by 2030 is achievable, Goyal confident

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday exuded confidence that the country's apparel exports would reach the target of USD 40 billion by 2030. He said that the government is taking steps to promote exports such as entering into free trade agreements and promoting brand India. The minister also asked the apparel exporters to procure raw materials from Indian players and not depend on "opaque" foreign suppliers and suggested not to fall for "predatory products". "USD 40 billion target by 2030 is clearly achievable," Goyal said here while awarding apparel exporters. Speaking at the event, Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) Chairman Naren Goenka said that the sector exports grew at a rate of 30.35 per cent in 2021-22 over 2020-21, and 1.10 per cent in 2022-23 over 2021-22. "We are vigilant of the fact that India's apparel exports have been constant to the tune of 3-4 per cent of global export share during past 3-4 years and hence AEPC has been very proactiv

Trade strategy on table to achieve exports target of $2 trillion by 2030

Last month, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), as part of its recommendation for the services sector, urged the government to introduce measures to empower small businesses

Amid China outbreaks, India can position itself as manufacturing hub: GTRI

With China witnessing repeated outbreaks of respiratory ailments, India can position itself as a global manufacturing hub by enhancing its supply chain capabilities and investing in healthcare infrastructure, think tank GTRI said in a report. India can leverage its workforce and manufacturing potential in sectors like mobile phones and laptops, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. According to the report, China has experienced several outbreaks due to close human-animal contact, including COVID-19 (2019), H7N9 bird flu (2013), H5N6 bird flu (2014), and H10N3 bird flu (2021). While these outbreaks had varying impacts, COVID-19 notably escalated into a global pandemic. These outbreaks, especially COVID-19, have prompted a reevaluation of global supply chains and reliance on China for manufacturing. Businesses are considering alternatives like reshoring or diversifying supply sources to mitigate risks. "India is positioned to benefit from this trend by enhancing its supp

India faces queries from WTO on PMGKAY extension and rice export ban

Countries, including the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and New Zealand, are seeking clarity on the expiry dates of India's export restrictions and duties

Opaque WTO dispute talks a concern for India, South Africa, and Egypt

The two tier dispute settlement system of WTO involving consultation and adjudication remains non-functional since December 2019

India and European Union likely to resolve ICT dispute by December

In June, they urged the WTO's dispute settlement body to mutually defer an appeal, which was pushed by 180 days - in two tranches of 90 days, each

MSMEs getting greater attention in free trade agreements: Govt official

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are getting greater importance in the upcoming Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as these pacts provide huge opportunities for them to participate in global trade, a senior government official said on Thursday. Additional Secretary in the department of commerce Rajesh Agarwal said FTAs can enable better integration of MSMEs with global value chains. However, there are a few key challenges that need to be focussed on for the sector, including information asymmetry, access to affordable finance, reduction in regulatory burden, access to new markets, and capacity building through skill development programmes. "In every free trade agreement, we have talked about MSMEs, sometimes in paragraphs and sometimes in a full chapter As a country we will have to start putting in more and more weight around the work MSMEs can do and how they can be enabled to leverage the FTAs," Agarwal said in a event organised by industry chamber CII. The FTAs bring ..

India should be cautious on labour provisions in FTA negotiations: Experts

India needs to follow a cautious approach while negotiating labour provisions in free trade agreements (FTAs) as those could have potential repercussions on domestic manufacturing and overall trade competitiveness, experts say. International trade experts claimed that in a significant shift from its longstanding stance, India has begun to engage on labour issues in its trade negotiations with the UK, European Union, and the US-led Indo Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Inclusion of these issues in trade pacts could have negative impacts, they said, adding that the recent US presidential memorandum of Joe Biden on worker rights indicates a deepening focus on labour standards in trade deals. Negotiations are on fast track with a comprehensive trade agreement with the UK, which seeks to promote trade in goods, services and two-way investments. Think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Ajay Srivastava said that such provisions could erode the competitive advant

No deadline for UK FTA but working on a timeline: Commerce Secretary

Out of four pillars, India has joined three pillars - supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy (issues like tax and anti-corruption) and is an observer under the trade pillar

Festival gold rush widens India's trade deficit to new high in October

The services exports in October were valued at $28.70 billion as compared to $29.37 billion in September and imports were $14.32 billion against $14.91 billion in the previous month

India, Malaysia looking at reviewing 2011 trade pact: Malaysian FM

India and Malaysia are firming up a framework for conducting trade in national currencies and initiating a process to review the 12-year-old comprehensive economic cooperation agreement to include new domains and items, Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said. At the end of a three-day visit to India, Kadir told PTI that both sides are keen to expand trade engagement in new and emerging areas such as electronics, semiconductors, fintech, renewable energy, new technology and startups. Ways to further boost the overall trajectory of ties were discussed extensively during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Malaysian counterpart on Tuesday night. Asked about India's long-pending demand to Malaysia to extradite fugitive evangelist Zakir Naik, Kadir did not give a direct reply and said Kuala Lumpur is keen on strengthening institutional mechanisms to boost security cooperation rather than focusing on any individual. Naik is facing a multi-agency probe

India-Russia new sea trade route plan in final stages of clearances

The Indian authorities have identified coking coal, crude, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilisers as major commodities that will be traded in the route

UK officials pressured to drop IP law demands in India trade talks

Critics say the changes would damage India's position as a leading provider of generic drugs - essentially "copycat" versions of those which fall out of patent

Unprecedented rise in India-Saudi strategic relations

India's trade with the Arab world has already surpassed an all-time high of $240 billion a year