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Trade Talks
The next round of negotiations for reviewing the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods is expected in April, though the pace of talks is slow, an official said. A free trade agreement in goods between India and the 10-nation bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was signed in 2009. The ASEAN trade deal came into force in January 2010. In August 2023, both sides announced a complete review of the existing agreement in goods by 2025. "The pace of talks is slow," the official said. ASEAN as a group is India's one of major trade partners with about 11 per cent share in the country's global trade. The review of the agreement is a long-standing demand of Indian industry and India is looking forward to an upgraded pact which will address the current asymmetries in bilateral trade and will make trade more balanced and sustainable. India is asking for the review to eliminate barriers and misuse of the pact. ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malays
India and Myanmar have discussed the importance of resuming border trade through roads and agreed to take steps on this issue, an official statement said on Sunday. The issue was discussed during a meeting between Myanmar's Deputy Commerce Minister U Minn Minn and Minister of State of Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada here on February 14. They discussed possibilities to increase cooperation in areas such as pharmaceuticals, pulses, petroleum products and greater use of the recently launched Rupee-Kyat trade settlement mechanism. "During the meeting, both the leaders deliberated on the potential areas of collaboration to promote bilateral trade and also acknowledged the importance of resuming border trade through roads and agreed to take steps on this issue," the commerce ministry said. India is the fifth-largest trading partner of Myanmar. The bilateral trade stood at USD 1.74 billion in 2023-24 against USD 1.76 billion in 2022-23.
The US government's move to impose reciprocal tariffs to match higher duties levied by its trading partners is not likely to hurt India much as there are differences in the export profiles of the two countries, economic think tank GTRI said on Friday. Citing an example, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that if the US charges 50 per cent reciprocal tariffs on Indian pistachios because India charges the same, India is happy as it does not export pistachios. Additionally, for 75 per cent value of the US exports to India, the average tariff is less than 5 per cent, GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. In contrast, India faces high US tariffs on many labour-intensive goods like textiles, garments, and footwear, ranging between 15-35 per cent on several products, he added. "Given the differences in the export profiles of the two countries, reciprocal tariffs may not have a significant impact...In the new Trump era, India may wait to see the US decision in April on reciproca
Having already forced Colombia to accept deportees by threatening a 25 per cent tariff, President Donald Trump is readying the same move against Canada and Mexico as soon as Saturday. But this time, the stakes are higher and many economists surveying the possible damage doubt Trump would be comfortable with what they say would be self-inflicted wounds from the tariffs. The potential for such sizable economic impacts ought to act as enough of a deterrent that Trump will not end up implementing these higher tariffs, said Matthew Martin, senior US economist at the consultancy Oxford Economics. Trump has repeatedly insisted that tariffs are coming on Canada and Mexico, despite both countries seeking to address his stated concerns about illegal border crossings and the smuggling of fentanyl. But the Republican president is also motivated by the idea that tariffs would force other countries to respect the United States. We're going to immediately install massive tariffs," Trump said in a
India and New Zealand should address market access issues for goods, promote collaborations in key sectors, and work on improving connectivity with an aim to boost bilateral trade, which is just USD 1.5 billion, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. Both countries should set a target to double two-way trade within five years by identifying products for early tariff relief and organizing business delegations and roadshows in India, it said. It also said that India's proposed free trade agreement with New Zealand would have limited benefit to domestic companies as they are already enjoying duty free access to a significant number of goods in that market. New Zealand's average import tariff is just 2.3 per cent, compared to India's 17.8 per cent. Besides, 58.3 per cent of New Zealand's tariff lines (or product categories) are duty-free, meaning Indian products already enjoy significant access without a trade pact in the New Zealand market, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.