Trade Ties

PM Modi's second Israel visit to boost bilateral defence, trade cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Israel beginning Wednesday to shore up bilateral defence and trade cooperation amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle-east including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran. Modi's engagements will include his address to Israel's parliament, wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and a meeting with President Isaac Herzog. It is learnt that boosting overall defence and security cooperation between the two sides will be a major area of discussions during delegation level talks involving the two prime ministers on Thursday. Netanyahu is scheduled to host a private dinner for Modi on Wednesday night. It will be Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during Modi's first visit to that country in July, 2017. Netanyahu had made a return visit to India in January 2018. India and Israel share a robust strategic

Datanomics: $500 billion imports in five years need 3.75x increase

Despite tariff cuts, india's plan to import $500 billion of us goods in five years far outpaces historical trade flows

External factors won't affect India-China trade: Consul General Qin Jie

Qin Jie, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Mumbai, said on Saturday that India-China trade will not be affected by external factors, as both countries are very big economies that support multilateralism and multilateral trade. The Chinese Consul General was speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the International Business Conclave at Advantage Vidarbha 2026 in Nagpur. When asked how he sees the contours of trade between the two neighbours against the backdrop of the agreements India is signing, he said it is unlikely that it will be influenced much by outside factors. "Because India is a very big economy and China is also a very large economy. We are countries that both support multilateralism and multilateral trade and multicultural exchange," he said. To a question about his views on the deals that India has struck with the US and the European Union (EU), Qin Jie said, "India is free to decide its relations with the EU or other parts of the world But for India and

PM Modi, Merz pitch 'limitless' India-Germany partnership in defence, tech

PM Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to deepen cooperation in defence, space, semiconductors and emerging technologies during talks in Gujarat

Piyush Goyal's Brussels visit to give final push to EU FTA negotiations

Goyal will visit Brussels on Jan 8-9 to hold high-level talks with EU officials, as India and the European Union seek to resolve key differences and fast-track their long-pending free trade agreement

More ambition needed: New FTAs welcome, but bigger targets lie ahead

An FTA has also been agreed upon with the United Kingdom (UK), which means that India now has formal trade pacts with three of the five Anglosphere economies

India, Canada to soon start talks to revive trade pact discussions: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said India and Canada are soon to start discussions on the Terms of Reference (ToR) to formally start negotiations for a free trade agreement. The two countries were earlier negotiating a trade pact but it was paused by Canada in 2023. "We are soon going to launch discussions for the terms of reference with Canada also," Goyal said here, talking to the media about the conclusion of negotiations for the India-New Zealand free trade agreement. The terms of reference outline the scope and modalities of a proposed trade pact. He also said India has so far finalised FTAs with three members of the Five Eyes (FVEY) alliance - Australia, UK and New Zealand. The five countries of the intelligence sharing network are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. India is at an advanced stage of negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with the US, he said adding "this reflects the growing strategic importance of India in world

India, EU aim to seal trade pact at the earliest: Commerce Secretary

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal held discussions with EU commissioner for trade and economic security, during December 8-9 to provide strategic guidance to the FTA negotiating teams

Need to diversify India-Russia trade and make it more balanced: Goyal

According to government data, the total trade between India and Russia grew from $8.73 billion in FY22 to $68.7 billion in FY25, mainly due to New Delhi's oil purchases

Raft of agreements may be signed during Putin's India visit next week

Both nations look to deepen defence cooperation, and expand trade ties in 'national currencies'

India, Afghanistan to establish joint chamber to deepen trade ties

India and Afghanistan have agreed to set up a joint chamber of commerce and industry, revive trade mechanisms, and expand cooperation across sectors during Afghan Minister Azizi's visit

New air freight corridors to connect Kabul with Delhi, Amritsar: MEA

The air freight corridors mark a return of direct trade links between the two nations that had slowed in recent years

India, Canada agree to restart stalled talks for new trade deal: Govt

The restart of talks highlights thawing relations between the two countries as Carney pushes to expand trade ties beyond the US, its biggest trading partner

No trade deal at cost of farmers, workers' welfare, says Piyush Goyal

India will not agree to any trade deal that harms farmers, dairy or workers, Piyush Goyal said, adding that new fish export markets like Russia are being explored

India, Angola sign MoUs to boost cooperation in trade, marine sectors

India and Angola on Sunday exchanged multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to strengthen bilateral ties on subjects like fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources during the first day of President Droupadi Murmu's official engagements in the African country. The President is on a four-day state visit to the country between November 8-11. This is the first visit by an Indian president to Angola. Murmu was officially welcomed at the Presidential Palace here by Angolan President Joo Manuel Gonalves Loureno, starting with a 21-gun salute and a ceremonial guard of honour. The two leaders later sat down for delegation-level talks, following which MOUs were exchanged between the two countries, followed by a joint reading of statements before the press. Murmu said the partnership between India and Angola was built on "mutual trust, respect and a shared vision for the prosperity of our peoples." She thanked the Angolan people and the government for hosting her delegation in their

India, US working to resolve sensitivities in trade pact talks, says Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India and the US are holding continuous discussions for the proposed bilateral trade agreement. "Talks are going well...and are continuously going on. ..kaee samvedanasheel mudde hai, kaee gambheer mudde hai, toh svaabhaavik hai ki thoda samay lagega (There are many sensitive issues, many serious issues, so it is natural that it will take some time)," he told reporters here. He was replying to a question about the progress on India-US negotiations on the pact. Goyal is here on a four-day official visit. He is leading a business delegation. Five rounds of talks have been completed so far for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement between the US and India. A team of Indian officials, headed by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, was in Washington last month to hold trade talks with their US counterparts. The three-day talks ended on October 17. In February this year, leaders of India and the US directed official

Haryana CM to visit Japan from Oct 6-8 to boost investment, trade ties

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will visit Japan from October 6 to 8, aiming to strengthen economic, industrial and cultural collaboration between his state and the country. The visit also seeks to attract investments, deepen cooperation in technology and manufacturing, and showcase Haryana as a leading destination for global investors. Saini will arrive in Tokyo on the morning of October 6 and begin his official engagements with high-level meetings at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said a state government statement. He will hold discussions with Miyaji Takuma, State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and Koga Yuichiro, State Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, to explore avenues of cooperation in trade, investment and technology transfer. In the afternoon, Saini will participate in a series of programmes at the Embassy of India, Tokyo. The chief minister will also meet senior representatives of JETRO, AIS

Putin directs measures to reduce trade imbalance with India ahead of visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his anticipation for his upcoming visit to India in early December and has ordered the government to devise measures to soften the trade imbalance with India due to the heavy import of crude by New Delhi. Speaking at the international Valdai discussion forum of security and geopolitical experts from 140 countries, including India, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in South Russia on Thursday evening, Putin underlined that Russia and India have never had any problems or tensions between them and always took actions by keeping in view their sensitivities. "We have never had any problems or interstate tensions with India. Never," the Russian leader noted. Putin highlighted the "special" nature of Russia-India relations since the days of the Soviet Union, when India was fighting for its independence. "In India, they remember this, they know it, and they value it. We appreciate that India has not forgotten it," he declared. He referred to Prime

Next round of talks on proposed trade pacts with Chile, Peru in Oct, Nov

The next round of negotiations between India and two South American countries, Chile and Peru, will be held in October and November, respectively, an official said. The five-day talks with Chile will start on October 27 in Santiago, the three-day deliberations with Peru will begin on November 3 in Lima, the official said. Both agreements are being negotiated separately. India is set to hold its second round of trade talks with Chile and the eighth round of negotiations with Peru. India and Chile implemented a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in 2006 and are now negotiating to widen its scope for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). 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, MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), and critical minerals. The bilateral trade between India and Chile is modest. In 2024-25, India's exports t

US needs to 'fix' countries like India and Brazil: Lutnick amid tariff row

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said that the US will have to fix countries like Brazil and India, asserting that these nations need to react correctly to America by opening their markets and refraining from actions that could harm American interests. The Trump administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including a 25 per cent tariff on New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, among the highest tariff rates imposed on any country in the world. "We have a bunch of countries to fix, like Switzerland, Brazil, India - these are countries that need to really react correctly to America. Open their markets, stop taking actions that harm America, and that's why we're off sides with them," Lutnick said in an interview with NewsNation. Lutnick said that these countries have to understand that if "you want to sell to the US consumers, you've got to play ball with the President of the United States." Apart from India and Brazil, Lutnick also mentioned countries like Taiwan and