India, Asean discuss review of trade agreement

Eight sub-committees have been constituted under the India-Asean free trade agreement joint committee for the review of the pact. The AITIGA Joint Committee aims to conclude the review in 2025 and address the long-standing demand of Indian businesses to eliminate barriers and misuse of the trade pact.

India aims to secure a permanent solution for public stockholding, reform the WTO, end the moratorium on customs duties for digital transactions, protect the interests of poor fishermen, and propose reforms in the WTO dispute settlement system.

India is headed for general elections in April-May while polls in the UK are to take place by January next year. While most of the 26 chapters of the pact, dealing with the opening up of varied sectors, are either closed or at an advanced stage of negotiations, some issues related to rules of origin […]

India, the world’s second largest onion exporter, had banned shipments of the kitchen staple in December 2023 till March 2024 due to rising domestic prices and potential shortages. This led to a surge in onion prices in neighbouring countries.

The scheme does not include all exports. Products exported from SEZs, EOUs, Electronic Hardware Technology Parks, Biotechnology Parks and Customs bonded warehouses; exports under Advance Authorisation (which allows duty-free imports of inputs for export production); re-exported imported goods are excluded.

The India-UK free trade agreement negotiations are at a crucial stage, with the Prime Minister’s Office reviewing progress on February 16. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal attended the meeting. Both countries are working to resolve remaining issues. The pact covers 26 chapters, including goods, services, investments, and intellectual property […]

India has proposed a work programme at the World Trade Organization (WTO) aimed at reducing the cost of cross-border remittances to promote international trade. The proposal emphasizes the importance of promoting interoperability and interlinkages of digital payment infrastructures to achieve cheaper, faster, and more transparent cross-border payments, including remittances.

The Red Sea crisis has caused significant shipping costs and times for Indian companies, leading to job losses and increased costs for small exporters. In India, small exporters, who account for 40% of the country’s annual merchandise exports worth $450 billion, have warned that job losses have started and could soar if the attacks, which […]

India has launched an anti-dumping investigation into the import of solar glass from China and Vietnam following a complaint from domestic players. The probe will determine if the dumping of ‘Textured Tempered Coated and Uncoated Glass’ has caused material injury to Indian industries.

The negotiations for the proposed India-UK free trade agreement are at an advanced stage, and both sides are working to iron out differences on the remaining issues, a top government official said on Thursday. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said the negotiations are taking time because “we want” to safeguard India’s interest.