GAGA B2B - CONNECTING IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS

[ad_1] New Delhi: India and the EU have closed five chapters including on intellectual property, and customs and trade facilitation of their proposed free trade agreement (FTA) in the 11th round of talks held on May 12-16 in New Delhi. The two sides also discussed the EU's proposal for easing the process of certification under India's Quality Control Orders, especially improvements in online application and accreditation of EU Conformity Assessment Bodies, said an official. The 12th round of negotiations is likely in Brussels in July, but intensive intersessional engagement will take place virtually and in person, besides discussions at the political level. The two sides aim to conclude the FTA by the end of 2025. Negotiators also made substantive progress on the text of digital trade facilitation provisions such as e-invoicing, e-authentication, e-contract, paper-less trade, online consumer protection, spam, digital identities and open government data. "The focus o...

[ad_1] India places a high priority to its relations with the European Union, the centrepiece of which is the Free Trade Agreement negotiations that are making very good progress, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Wednesday. During a conversation with The Financial Times Brussels Bureau Chief Henry Foy at the German Marshall Fund (GMF) Forum, the external affairs minister expressed confidence that the year-end timeline set for the completion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) seems "feasible" following his in-depth talks with EU officials this week. He also highlighted the strength of the two-way relationship that goes beyond trade to cover aspects of defence and security, mobility, talent flows and education. "I would give it (India-EU ties) pretty high priority... right now you catch us at a very important moment," said Jaishankar."We had the (EU) College of Commissioners, very soon after they came into office, visit India col...

[ad_1] India and the US are on track to seal a trade agreement before the deadline of fall 2025 set by PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal told ET in an interview. Goyal, who is on a four-day visit to Switzerland and Sweden, said the rare earth magnet supply squeeze by China is a wakeup call. Edited excerpts: Q: Trade has now acquired a geopolitical dimension. How can India secure its interests? A: Today, India is sitting on the high table. We have free trade agreements (FTAs) with most developed nations—Japan and Korea, Australia, UAE, the four EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries.The FTA with the UK has already closed. We are in active dialogue with the US for a bilateral trade agreement, with the European Union for a free trade agreement… with Peru, Chile, and Oman. The entire world recognises India’s growing strength.'Perfect Opportunity'Live EventsThe world recognises the decisive leadership Prime Mini...

[ad_1] India's goods and services exports during 2025-26 are expected to cross USD 900 billion despite the global economic uncertainties, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said. Despite uncertainties due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel-Hamas war and the Red Sea crisis, the country's overall exports touched an all-time high of USD 825 billion in 2024-25 against USD 778 billion in 2023-24. "We have crossed USD 825 billion exports last year, we are surely to cross USD 900 billion this year in all this global turmoil," he has said here while addressing the Indian business delegation last night. The minister is here on an official visit to meet his Swedish counterpart and companies for promoting trade and investments between the two countries.Apex exporters' body FIEO has projected that the country's overall goods and services exports are expected to grow by over 21 per cent year-on-year to USD 1 trillion during 2025-26. [ad_2] Sourc...

[ad_1] India is open to mutually beneficial arrangements on implementing norms related quality standards with its trusted trading partners, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He said India is implementing QCOs (quality control orders) to promote manufacturing of quality goods in the country. The rules, standards, and process are the same for domestic as well imported goods and India does not discriminate between domestic manufacturers and foreign suppliers, he said, adding that equal treatment is given to companies of all the countries. "But certainly there could be room to find innovative solutions so that it becomes easier for trusted partners who are producing good quality products to get pathways by which such approvals can become simpler."We are open to suggestions. We are in dialogue with several nations on a mutual benefit basis and a mutual recognition basis, if other nations are willing to respect the high quality goods that India ma...

[ad_1] India's palm oil imports jumped to a six-month high in May, driven by low inventories and the tropical oil's price discount to rival soyoil and sunflower oil, which prompted refiners to boost purchases, an industry body said on Thursday. Higher imports of palm and soyoil by India, the world's biggest buyer of vegetable oils, could support Malaysian palm oil prices and U.S. soyoil futures. Palm oil imports rose 84% in May from April to stand at 592,888 metric tons, the highest since November 2024, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said. India imported an average of more than 750,000 tons of palm oil each month during the marketing year that ended in October 2024, the SEA said.Imports of soyoil increased 10.4% to 398,585 tons, the highest since January, and sunflower oil imports rose 1.9% to 183,555 tons, it added.Live Events Higher imports of palm oil and soyoil lifted India's total vegetable oil imports in May by 33% from a month befor...