FTA with EU will be the hardest nut to crack: Former Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal leads progressing India-UK FTA negotiations, aiming to enhance economic ties. Talks cover 26 chapters, including intellectual property rights, with bilateral trade data showing an increase to USD 20.36 billion.

There is a huge progress in the talks between India and the UK on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and New Delhi is looking to resolve the pending issues during high level meetings scheduled this month between the two countries, a top official said on Monday. The 12th round of talks between the countries are in progress here.

The UK delegation includes high-ranking government officials who will look to resolve some sticky issues in the final deliberations

In the Group of Seven (G7) trade ministers' meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged the participating countries to collaborate on a regulatory framework to ease the movement of supply chains and facilitate cross-border trade.

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) India on Monday expressed “serious” concerns in a WTO meeting in Abu Dhabi over increase in the use of trade protectionist measures by certain countries in the name of environment protection. The remarks assume significance as the country has earlier flagged issues over the European Union’s (EU) decision to impose […]

In such agreements, two countries either substantially cut or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them, besides easing norms for promoting trade in services and investments. It was decided that an Oman Desk would be created in Invest India for this purpose. Similarly, Invest Oman would also launch an India Desk.

The country stands to benefit as the shifting geopolitical environment has compelled global manufacturing giants to seek alternative production sites

Kolkata, Nov 20 (PTI) UK-India Business Council (UKIBC), a trade body with a mission to grow trade and investments between the two countries, on Monday said the negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should conclude before the general elections due in both nations next year. Thirteen rounds of negotiations have been already completed between […]

The 'rules of origin' provision prescribes minimal processing that should happen in the FTA country so that the final manufactured product may be called originating goods in that country. Under this provision, a country that has inked an FTA with India cannot dump goods from some third country in the Indian market by just putting a label on it. It has to undertake a prescribed value addition in that product to export to India. Rules of origin norms help contain the dumping of goods.

Discussions around the FTA have faltered as India is concerned that lowering tariffs on Scotch whisky would have a detrimental impact on Indian-made whiskies. Nonetheless, Southgate claims Whyte & Mackay, which sells Dalmore and Jura whisky in India, is witnessing significant progress and the country is a high priority market with growth potential.