Page 10 - Trade

India-EU free trade pact could be concluded before year end: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said that negotiations for the proposed comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) are progressing at a rapid pace and the deal could be concluded before the year end. He also said that India will raise its concerns over certain EU's regulations such as carbon tax and deforestation rules in the trade talks. "We have certain concerns about EU practices and regulations, likewise they have certain areas which they would like to discuss. All issues are on the table and we will negotiate a fair, balanced and equitable FTA," Goyal told reporters here. He added that all of these issues will come up for discussions, so that both sides can come up with a robust agreement that will support market access and promote easier trade. The minister is here for a two-day visit. He will meet French leaders and business representatives to promote trade and investments between the two countries. When asked ab

87% of Indian firms shift focus to domestic amid trade worries: HSBC

HSBC survey shows 87% of Indian firms are pivoting to the domestic market to reduce global exposure amid trade policy uncertainty and rising costs

Trump tariffs a call for nations to consider trade governance reforms

It is time for collective action among like-minded economies rather than be caught in the US tariff turmoil

Outdated fertiliser rules favour imports over domestic production: Industry

The government's "outdated" fertiliser regulations are creating an uneven playing field, favouring Chinese imports over domestic manufacturers and undermining the "Make in India" initiative, industry bodies said on Tuesday. The fertiliser control framework's concurrent naturegoverned by both central and state authoritieshas led to numerous amendments but has struggled to keep pace with evolving domestic needs and global developments, gradually coming to be seen as a relic of the legacy "Inspector Raj" and "License Raj", they said. The industry bodies called for comprehensive reforms including implementing "One Nation, One Licence" policies, ensuring regulatory parity between domestic and foreign manufacturers, and capping inspector numbers to two per unit. The Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association (SFIA), in a statement, said a major public sector enterprise recently issued tenders for soluble fertilisers that explicitly excluded "Made in India" products, highlighting how current

Steel ministry backs extension of import curbs on metallurgical coke

India, the world's second-largest crude steel producer, imposed quantitative restrictions in December on imports of low-ash met coke

Duty drawback on inputs used in export products shouldn't be denied

There is no bar on applying for advance authorisation under SION or Para 4.07 of HBP while your request for review of the SION under Para 4.06 of the HBP is pending

'Early tranche' of trade deal between India, US may be sealed soon

First phase might include a tariff reduction and focus on the priority non-tariff barriers faced by exporters

UK to give non-discriminatory treatment to India in procurement under FTA

The UK for the first time has agreed to accord non-discriminatory treatment to Indian companies in its public procurement system under the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, an official said. On May 6, the two announced conclusion of negotiations for the FTA. It will be implemented next year. "For the first time, UK agreed to take binding commitment to provide non-discriminatory treatment to our suppliers under UK's Social Value regime in their public procurement system," the official said. Under the UK's Social Value law, the British government departments require public authorities to have regard to economic, social and environmental well-being in connection with public services contracts. According to the UK government, the trade pact will give UK businesses "unique and unprecedented" access to India's public procurement market, comprising about 40,000 tenders with a value of at least 38 billion pounds a year. On the other hand, India has agreed to allow Brit

Chinese smartphone exports to US decline to lowest level since 2011

Investors fear a global trade war that would erode some of the US-China bilateral trade that reached $690 billion in 2024, decimating industries and raising prices for consumers

Why India must rethink its use of quality control orders in trade policy

QCOs should protect against irreversible harm, not shield big firms or suppress imports under the guise of standards, especially as India embraces global integration

GeM to add global tendering, rate contract features on its portal

The addition of global tendering will allow international suppliers and vendors to participate in public procurement processes

After the 'pause': Trump's trade threat shows how it benefits everyone

China had been left out of the original comprehensive list of countries being hit with what Mr Trump inaccurately described as "reciprocal" tariffs

Amid India-Pak tension, apple growers demand ban on imports from Turkey

India annually imports around 300,000-500,000 tonnes of apples from nearly 40 countries across the globe, and Turkiye is one of them

US consumer prices rise marginally in April; impact of tariffs awaited

Though the U.S. and China took a major step towards de-escalating their trade war over the weekend, a 10% blanket duty on almost all imports remains in place, as do sectoral tariffs

As foreign tourists stay away, US could lose $12.5 billion this year

The United States is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international travel spending this year, falling to less than $169 billion from $181 billion in 2024

FTAs: It is time for India to pause and reassess its trade strategy

While the full FTA text remains undisclosed, publicly available details reveal signs of concern. This write-up flags three key issues

Multiple possibilities: US-China agreement marks a new beginning

Both countries had reasons to come to an agreement. Chinese factories have seen a clear reduction in demand for their goods, driven by the closure of the markets in the United States

India, EU to hold next round of FTA talks from Monday for early conclusion

India and the European Union (EU) chief negotiators will begin the next round of talks on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) here from Monday, with an aim to conclude the first phase of the pact as early as possible, according to an official. The two sides have agreed to conclude the agreement in two phases on account of the uncertain global trade environment, particularly due to the US tariff actions under President Donald Trump. "The EU team will be here for the 11th round of negotiations. It will continue till May 16," the official said. Issues where there is convergence would be included in the first part of the agreement. They are aiming to conclude the second part by the end of this year. Talks for the previous (tenth) round focused on areas like market access offers in goods, services, investment and government procurement. India has followed the practice of negotiating trade pacts in two phases with Australia. It is following a similar approach to the US. Commerce ..

No duty cuts on UK wines in India FTA; limited relief for British beer

India is not giving any duty concessions on British wines and is providing only limited import duty benefits on UK beer under the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, announced on May 6, an official said. The other sensitive agri products where India will not offer any reduction in the import duty include dairy products, apple, cheese, oats, animals and vegetable oils under the agreement with the United Kingdom. "Wine is on the exclusion list, along with several other agricultural products in the trade pact. We are also offering only a limited duty concession on British beer," the official said. India and the UK on May 6 announced the conclusion of the free trade agreement which will make British Scotch whiskey and cars cheaper in India, while reducing duties on Indian imports such as garments and leather products here. As per the agreement, India will reduce duty on UK whiskey and gin from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and further to 40 per cent in the tenth year of

Free trade agreement fix: Liquor industry red flags UK maturation norms

According to the UK and European Union (EU) regulations, a spirit must be matured for a minimum of three years in wooden casks to be legally defined and sold as "whisky."