The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) announced that a nationwide farmers’ rally will be held in Delhi on August 25 to protest against the proposed India-US trade agreement, and to press for key farmer demands. www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/...

US Tariff Pause Donald Trump has signed an executive order pushing the tariff implementation deadline from July to August 1. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

The India-UK FTA incorporates a mechanism that would allow either party to renegotiate specific clauses if the other offers better terms to a third country through separate agreements, according to people familiar with the matter. www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i...

1/Blockbuster ruling by Court of International Trade nullifying reciprocal tariffs and trafficking tariffs. It also severely handicaps attempts to reimpose. The Court in no uncertain terms rejects national security justification (something courts rarely do). www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/fi...

New Delhi plans to create a new category of "foreign-owned and controlled entities" (FOCE), which will also include Indian firms with "indirect foreign investment", the first source said. www.reuters.com/world/china/...

According to China, the US always “manipulates double standard” by “disciplining others with the strictest standards and self-discipline with the loosest standards, and inconsistency between words and deeds has become the norm.” twn.my/title2/wto.i...

Prof Ram Singh: "The concern, however, extends beyond China. Imports [of steel products] from FTA partners are rising steeply, with India running trade deficits of around $2 billion each with Japan and South Korea, and $1 billion with Vietnam." www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/maki...

The FTA between India and the UK might take more than three months to take effect, with the final text now headed for legal vetting, two senior government officials said on the condition of anonymity. www.livemint.com/politics/pol...

The UK would get access to a [Tariff Rate] quota to sell 22,000 high-value EVs to India at the lower 10% duty, while New Delhi would get a quota to sell low- and mid-range EVs to Britain under the India-UK FTA.

While India has not gained anything on visa-related issues from this FTA, the UK has offered mobility commitments to annually allow a combined 1,800 yoga instructors, classical musicians, chefs and independent professionals of computer and related services and R&D services, the official said.

“There is not much concern on chocolates, cosmetics and even Scotch imports. We don’t expect a huge rise in their imports that could hurt our industry,” said an official, “We are giving signals to the EU that we are open to offer concessions”. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy...

According to Indian officials, the UK offered Indian workers a two-year national insurance carve out while Badenoch was in charge of trade talks but India wanted a four-year exemption. Starmer agreed a three-year compromise in the deal unveiled on Tuesday. www.ft.com/content/7f13...

UK: "This IP chapter will support our economies through effective and balanced protection and enforcement of IP rights."

India-UK FTA concluded: “This is the most comprehensive free trade deal India has ever entered into and will be the gold standard for our future engagements,” India's Commerce Minister said. indianexpress.com/article/busi...

And we have a UK India trade deal pib.gov.in/PressRelease...

India and the UK are locked in the final stages of negotiating a free trade deal [..] The most intractable area of disagreement is over Delhi’s request to be exempted from the UK’s “carbon border tax”, starting in 2027 [..] two people with knowledge of the [talks] said. www.ft.com/content/a07d...

Two days of intense negotiations between India and the UK aimed at finalising a long-pending FTA ended without a breakthrough, since both sides couldn’t resolve four-five outstanding issues, a person aware of the matter said. www.business-standard.com/economy/news...

Britain and India are closing in on a long-coveted trade deal. www.politico.eu/article/uk-i...

India is prepared to include a sweetener in trade talks with Washington that would "future-proof" a deal by ensuring no other trade partners could have superior terms, as it pushes for a quick agreement with the Trump administration, Indian government officials said. www.reuters.com/world/india/...

Forced technology transfer is back on the menu: India is planning to allow Chinese companies to invest under the electronics component Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, but only through joint ventures (JVs) with Indian firms, sources told CNBC-TV18. www.cnbctv18.com/technology/i...

India has accepted that Britain will only offer minor changes to its visa regime as negotiations for a trade deal enter their final stages. The new rules will lead to around 100 new visas for Indian workers each year, a U.K. official told POLITICO.

India-EU FTA talks have gathered pace with both partners starting sector-specific negotiations for the first time after narrowing chapter-wise differences, but their key disagreement over “sustainability” issues persists [..], according to people in the know. www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/s...

India and the United States may resolve contentious non-tariff barriers (NTBs) by signing the so-called “side letters” outside the framework of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA). www.business-standard.com/economy/news...

India is expected to press the United States to ease export controls and grant it access to critical technologies on par with key US allies such as Australia, the UK, and Japan under the proposed bilateral trade agreement. www.financialexpress.com/policy/econo...

India is open to modifying its Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SMEC) on the basis of the outcomes of the trade agreement with the US and other FTAs, according to a senior government official. www.business-standard.com/industry/aut...

Former GATT and WTO lead negotiator Ambassador Kumar: "India finds itself in a situation where it does not want to negotiate labour standards and environmental protection at the WTO, but is okay to discuss this bilaterally with EU, UK, and maybe even with US." www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-e...

The terms of reference for a bilateral deal, which was finalized by both sides this week, includes trade in goods as well as services, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Apart from tariffs cuts, a decision on inclusion of other areas such as intellectual property, digital trade, government procurement, social security and work visas will also now be thrashed out between trade officials from the two sides, sources said. www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/us-n...

India wants the 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports enforced by the Trump administration to be included in the India-US BTA that is currently being negotiated, rather than being addressed separately, two people aware of matter said. www.livemint.com/politics/pol...

CC/Devas Mauritius Ltd and Ors v Republic of India - Re State Immunity Act 1978 - Arbitration - 2025 EWHC 964 Comm - 17 April 2025 www.transnational-dispute-management.com/legal-and-re... This judgment concerns a question as to sovereign immunity as regards the ...

Indian negotiators have made it clear that unless the US changes its animal feeding practices or adopts India’s vegetarian certification process, there will be no question of letting in American dairy products such as cheese and butter. www.livemint.com/economy/dair...

“Currently, the focus [with the UK] is on the BIT. Discussions on BIT are going on. [..]" Apart from BIT, there are only a few other pending issues in the FTA, the official said. www.business-standard.com/external-aff...

U.S.-India Establish Terms of Reference on Bilateral Trade Agreement: "Goals for the United States include increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and negotiating a robust set of additional commitments [..]" ustr.gov/about/policy...

South Korea's LG and Samsung have sued India's government to quash a policy which increases payouts to electronic-waste recyclers, court filings show, joining other major companies in contesting the country's environmental rules citing business impact. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

The US demands in BTA talks: The Trump administration intends to press India to give online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart full access to its $125bn ecommerce market, as part of a trade deal being negotiated under the threat of increased tariffs. www.ft.com/content/ac85...

The terms of references (ToRs) finalized by India and the US for the proposed bilateral trade agreement include around 19 chapters covering issues such as tariffs, goods, non-tariff barriers, and customs facilitation, official sources said. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy...

🚨🚨 #tariffs and #EUtradepolicy: Given the state of things in the world and Trump's insane tariffs, it might be worth recapturing the meaning and implications of the EU's much debated trade nuclear option, the Anti-Coercion Instrument. 🧵 policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-...

The US sent a message to other member states at the UN’s International Maritime Organization, which is holding crunch talks on pricing this week which the US is not attending, stating that it would reject any plan to charge US ships for their emissions [..]. www.ft.com/content/f3e0...

Waking up: In a bid to strike an early trade deal with the US and potentially sidestep the 26% reciprocal tariffs, the Indian Commerce Ministry has stepped up efforts by expanding its NAFTA division, which handles India’s trade with North America [..] indianexpress.com/article/busi...

A tariff crisis is exactly the right time to reform the WTO | Opinion https://www.ft.com/content/a3871baa-be36-4057-ad10-a42caeaad472

My latest - a UK trade policy stocktake for 2025. Little has changed so far under a new government, as trade deals and secrecy continue to be the (inadequate) guiding principles. Their limitations are however well known, which is why I suspect there will be some evolution. ecipe.org/blog/decisio...

Happy New Year: The planned makeover of India’s 14-year-old-goods trade pact with ASEAN may take longer than expected as ASEAN members press to negotiate tariffs individually […] since India’s offer of a unified duty structure does not find favour. www.livemint.com/news/india-a...

Compliance with DS582 panel report: The EU is using its Enforcement Regulation to pressure New Delhi to do away with the tariffs it levies on certain ICT products. India has to reply to the consultations by 10 February 2025 else face unilateral action. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy...

India has shared a “non-paper”, or discussion paper, with the EU to convey New Delhi’s point of view regarding the disruption that will be created with the implementation of European regulations like CBAM, [EUDR and CSDDD], among others. www.business-standard.com/economy/news...

Indian exporters are putting together traceability proofs as they gear up to comply with the EU's new regulation on deforestation (EUDR). Detailed X-Tweet by Shantanu Singh (@Shansebolo.bsky.social) ⬇️ x.com/shansebolo/s...

India is working to build a consensus among developing nations at the WTO to push for a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) that will let them temporarily raise agricultural import duties, a person aware of the matter said. www.livemint.com/news/india/i...