New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) India will adopt a constructive, balanced and development-oriented approach at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) — scheduled to be held from March 26-29 in Yaounde, Cameroon, the government said on Wednesday.India’s delegation will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, along with senior officials, technical experts and representatives from various ministries.The discussion will focus on WTO reform, the e-commerce work programme and mora…
Latest FTA News & Updates
New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) has completed two years since its signing, with the government on Tuesday highlighted that the pact is strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, services and technology.The agreement, which came into effect on October 1, 2025, is expected to deepen India’s economic ties with the EFTA member countries — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland …
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) India and the European Union have agreed to give each other Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) treatment for five years after their proposed free trade agreement (FTA) comes into force. The move is aimed at ensuring fair and equal treatment in trade in services between both sides.Under the MFN provision, service sectors and service providers from India and the European Union will be treated at least as favourably as those from any other country.This means neither side can give bett…
Tel Aviv, Feb 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday emphasised the importance of unlocking the full potential of bilateral trade and investment between India and Israel, according to the joint statement issued after the successful conclusion of the summit. The Prime Ministers affirmed their commitment to integrating India’s and Israel’s advancements in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, agriculture an…
New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) The decision by India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to formally restart negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after nearly fifteen years represents a significant geoeconomic inflection point between India and the Gulf states, as the relationship is no longer only energy-driven with the focus on geoeconomic realignments having assumed greater importance, according to a report.The revival of these negotiations is not merely a trade event — it is a strategi…
New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) The India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) eliminates duties and places Indian shipments on a level-playing field with key competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, among other preferential trade partners, according to a new report.The agreement is expected to bring down EU import duties on Indian textiles to zero, addressing a longstanding tariff disadvantage that had limited India’s competitiveness in the region. The ICRA report notes that preferential access and lower…
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) India and the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday signed the Terms of Reference to guide the negotiations for the India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) The Terms of Reference (ToR), which will define the scope and modalities of the talks, were signed between Additional Secretary and Chief Negotiator, Department of Commerce, Ajay Bhadoo, and the GCC Secretariat General’s Chief Negotiator, Dr Raja Al Marzouqi, at the Vanijya Bhawan in the presence of Commerce and Industry M…
New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Ruling NDA leaders on Tuesday strongly welcomed the India-US trade agreement, calling it a historic milestone that will significantly benefit India’s economy, MSMEs and global trade standing. They also dismissed opposition criticism, accusing the Congress of being negative and unable to appreciate positive developments for the country.BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal described the agreement as a landmark achievement between the world’s largest democracies. “This is a very …
New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the successful conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is truly a historic milestone, unlike the “UPA era where agreements were rushed” and “India often conceded far more than it gained”.The minister said the EU trade deal will strengthen key sectors of our economy while fostering prosperity, as every region and citizen stands to gain from its many benefits.“I also draw a sharp contrast with the U…
New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, which are now approaching completion, have acquired strategic significance beyond trade liberalisation and the proposed agreement is increasingly being viewed as a stabilising anchor for global commerce amid growing geopolitical fragmentation and the weaponisation of trade, according to leading industry leaders and policymakers.The sentiment emerged at a high-level dialogue, titled “India-EU Summit: FTA …