ISDS Case Map
India
India is likely to soon initiate formal negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with China, the third largest destination for Indian goods and the biggest source of imports. A task force comprising officials from both countries recently submitted its report saying the FTA was feasible.
On the same day that Trade Minister Goff announced that progress had been made on the NZ-India FTA joint study, news broke that New Zealand immigration officials in New Delhi had refused visas to members of the Indian delegation to the India NZ Joint Business Councils.
New Zealand and India have made good progress towards initiating a free trade agreement between the two countries, Trade Minister Phil Goff said today.
New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff will be pushing forward with a proposal for a study into a free-trade agreement with India when he meets representatives of the Indian business community on Friday. Mr Goff says India is potentially a huge market for New Zealand and is becoming even more significant with growth of between 8% and 9% every year.
"This (FTA) will be one of the easier agreements to conclude," India's commerce minister Kamal Nath said. But European NGOs' recent campaigns against Indian industries, accusing them of violating human rights and labour laws, are not helping.
The free trade agreement (FTA) component of the India-European Union comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) is likely to exclude nearly 150 farm products to shield Indian farmers from increased competition posed by subsidised goods.
Certain analysts were critical of the summit's achievements, saying it failed to make real headway with matters central to trade between the three regional powers -- such as tariffs.
The declaration issued after the Tshwane India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit on 17 October 2007.
India's apex business chamber FICCI said India should not rush into a Free Trade Agreement with China, warning that ambitious tariff cuts can derail the growth momentum in bilateral trade.
India, Brazil and South Africa cemented their trilateral cooperation by signing seven agreements here Wednesday and resolved to push for a free trade area, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calling for considerably enhancing trade among the three.
