ISDS Case Map
India
Any US-India bilateral trade deal as mentioned by President Donald Trump will encounter challenges given the lack of convergence between the two sides on trade issues and their different approach to free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, according to a research paper released by a Singaporean think-tank.
Despite Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs), India’s textile trade has not been performing well, said Aditi Das Rout, Trade Advisor, Ministry of Textiles.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be under pressure to agree to a year-end partial conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact that India is negotiating with 15 countries, including China, when he attends the regional summit next month in Singapore.
India and Bangladesh have proposed early conclusion of a Compressive Economic Cooperation Agreement to boost bilateral trade and investment and set an example for giving a fillip to regional trade in South Asia.
India has proposed Bangladesh to consider negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with a view to promote two-way commerce and investments.
Entering into negotiations for a free trade agreement with the world’s largest economy is not going to be a walk in the woods, nor a fireside chat.
Mauritius is also holding negotiations for a similar pact with China, with which India has a huge trade deficit.
Two major farmers protests are planned in New Delhi on 2 October and 30 November and RCEP will be high on the agenda.
An UNCITRAL arbitral tribunal has reportedly dismissed a US$36 million claim by a French investor, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs SAS (“LDA“), against India under the 1997 France-India bilateral investment treaty.
While many officials are against a pact as they believe it will hurt domestic industry and agriculture, there is a small but influential group in the government that favours an FTA.
