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Informist, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026

 

Please click here to read all liners published on this story

--Trade secy: Trade issue discussions with China in early stage 
--Trade secy: India, China remain engaged on trade concerns 
--Trade secy: India, China ties have improved, gradual confidence building 
--Trade secy: India, China engaging positively on trade issues 
--Trade secy: Expect India, New Zealand FTA to take effect Oct 2nd half 
--Trade secy: Expect to sign India, EU FTA by end of this year 
--Trade secy: Plan to sign India, Canada trade pact before end of this year 
--Trade secy: Currency just a part of multiple factors impacting exports

 

NEW DELHI – India and China's discussions regarding trade concerns are at an initial stage and both the countries will continue to remain engaged over this, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said Tuesday. "I think these are initial discussions wherein, both sides' leaders have already invited both sides to work together to address each other's concern in the trade space and also try to address each other's trade concerns and in a manner also to look at the structure of trade imbalance, supply chain issues and how to build trust in the trade between the two sides," Agrawal said at a press briefing. 

 

His comments come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit on Saturday and Sunday, the first such meeting with the neighbouring country in seven years. At the meeting, both the leaders highlighted the need to address each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access. 

 

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also met China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on the sidelines of the event. India's total trade with China was $151.09 billion in 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), with exports amounting to $19.47 billion and imports $131.62 billion.

 

Agarwal said bilateral relations between India and China have seen some improvement over the last one year and both the nations have started engaging positively on trade issues. "So, there has been a gradual confidence building on both sides. So, this is a work in progress," he said.

 

TRADE PACTS

Agrawal said he expects India's free trade agreement with New Zealand to be operationalised in the latter half of next month. "The exact date for the same, we'll be announcing soon, once we have completely agreed both sides, because both sides have to completely kick start all the operationalisation processes and procedures to be very clear on thE day we are able to do," he said. India's FTA with New Zealand was signed in April. 

 

The FTA with New Zealand provides zero-duty access for 100% of Indian goods across more than 8,200 tariff lines. India has opened market access on roughly 70% of its tariff lines while protecting sensitive domestic sectors. Total bilateral trade between India and New Zealand was at $1.16 billion in 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), with India exporting goods worth $566.51 million and importing goods worth $590 million.

 

He expects India's FTA with the European Union, which was concluded in January, to be signed before the end of this year. India-EU trade was worth nearly $139 billion in 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), up 9.5%.  

 

He also expects India and Canada to sign a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement before the end of this year. Both the countries are holding the fourth round of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations in New Delhi from Monday to Friday. India and Canada have bilateral trade of around $8.5 billion, and both governments have set a target of expanding it to $70 billion by 2030.

 

Separately, talking about India's exports and the impact of the rupee's depereciation on the same, Agrawal said that currency is just one of the multiple factors that impact exports. "There are multiple factors that impact exports. Currency exchange rate is a function of economic play," he said. "Trade is only one part of it. So, I am not saying whether weak or rupee or a strong rupee is good for trade."

 

The Indian rupee has been under severe pressure, depreciating almost 6.8% against the dollar so far this year, owing to the war in West Asia. Meanwhile, in Apr-Aug, India's merchandise exports grew 17.8% on year to $215.91 billion.  End

 

US$1 = INR 95.56

 

Reported by Pratiksha

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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