India and Australia set for next CECA talks in November to expand trade deal scope

Senior officials from India and Australia are expected to hold the next round of talks for a comprehensive free trade agreement (CECA) in November in New Delhi, as per the commerce ministry. The countries, which implemented an interim trade deal in December 2022, are now looking to expand its scope through ongoing negotiations.

The tenth round of India-Australia CECA negotiations took place from August 19 to 22 in Sydney. Discussions covered a variety of areas including goods, services, digital trade, government procurement, rules of origin, and agri-tech. Both parties engaged in intense dialogues on these subjects to achieve clarity and understanding, which is expected to help in bringing convergence on the remaining provisions of the agreement.

“The next round of CECA negotiations is likely to be held in November,” stated the commerce ministry.

Rajesh Agrawal, the Chief Negotiator and Additional Secretary of India’s Department of Commerce, led the Indian delegation, while Ravi Kewalram, the Chief Negotiator and First Assistant Secretary from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, led the Australian side.

“The meeting saw intensive discussions and negotiations to narrow down the differences through better understanding of each other’s proposals and the way to bring in convergence. Efforts were made by both sides keeping in mind the domestic sensitivities for reaching a balanced outcome,” according to the ministry.

In addition to the trade talks, the Australian side proposed to hold the first meeting of the newly constituted India-Australia Agri Tech Forum (IAATF) in New Delhi on September 23. This meeting aims to include Indian agricultural stakeholders, such as industry representatives, research institutions, and government officials.The objective of the IAATF meeting is to build mutually beneficial relationships by exploring opportunities for technology transfer and knowledge sharing in the agriculture and horticulture sectors.Australia remains a significant trading partner for India in the Oceania region, with merchandise trade between the two nations reaching around USD 24 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24. India’s exports to Australia for the same period stood at USD 7.94 billion, while imports amounted to USD 16.15 billion. The bilateral trade has been approximately around the USD 25 billion mark since 2021-22.

With inputs from PTI