ISDS Case Map
India
India decided on October 16 to extend a line of credit of 250 million USD and 100 million USD worth of agricultural and industrial supplying for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It also agreed to sign within the next six months a bilateral investment promotion and protection treaty with Nigeria.
IBSA was conceived in 2003 to counterbalance the powerful Group of Eight alliance of industrialised countries and to promote South-South cooperation. But a reality check reveals that all three IBSA members still do by far most of their business with industrialised countries.
With elections likely to be held earlier than scheduled, the prospects for progress on the free trade agreements with Thailand and Asean have weakened further.
The Philippines signed nine bilateral agreements with India on Friday, including a framework agreement for bilateral trade.
EU sees a new readiness on the part of the Indian side which, for the first time, has put poverty reduction, labour standards and environmental protection under the bilateral trade framework.
Bilateral trade agreement with Asean and European Union are passe. The stage is set for the first trans-continental treaty with India, South Africa and Mercosur -- comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay -- launching negotiations on a preferential trade agreement later this week.India will also start technical negotiations on Saturday for a PTA with the Southern African Customs Union, which consists of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
India's commerce department is on a drive to identify 520 items that would be shielded from tariff cuts planned under the proposed India-EU bilateral trade and investment agreement. Tariffs on all other items will have to be reduced to zero in 10 years from the date of implementation of the agreement.
Washington needs to "think bigger" than it has in the past few years and look at possible trade deals with countries such as Taiwan, Indonesia, India and Japan, US Senate Democrat Max Baucus said.
Oil sardine and mackerel are likely to escape the list of duty-free import from Europe in the Indo-European Union trade and investment agreement, set to be signed late next year. The exemption is a major victory for fish workers.
Negotiations on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the 10-member Asean are stuck over tariff cuts on palm oil.
