Ministry of Commerce & Industry Seeks to Promote India–Africa Trade

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : In order to promote India-Africa trade and economic relations, Ministry of Commerce and Industry regularly reviews India’s trade with Africa through institutional mechanisms like Joint Commission Meetings (JCMs), Joint Trade Committees (JTCs), and Joint Working Groups(JWGs).

The 9^th Session of the India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in New Delhi on August 19 & 20, 2019, under the co-chairmanship of Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and his Kenyan counterpart Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Government of the Republic of Kenya.  During the meeting, wide ranging discussions were held cutting across sectors like MSME, Agriculture, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Tourism, Administration of Standards, Development of Human Resources in Higher Education, Science & Technology, Investment Promotion and Protection, Air Services, Energy, Plastics, Textile, Pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas, Health, Immigration, Automobile and other engineering products. Collaboration in the field of issue of recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia in Kenya was also discussed.

The First India-Nigeria JTC was held on December 19 & 20, 2019 in New Delhi, under the Co-chair of Commerce Secretary, Government of India and his Nigerian counterpart. During the meeting discussions were held in various sectors including oil and natural gas, market access in bovine meat, rice, recognition of pharmacopoeia, cooperation of SME sector, higher education and power.

The first meeting of the India-South Africa JWG on Trade and Investment was held in January, 2019, to deliberate on the bottlenecks including non-tariff barriers, and suggest the way forward to further deepen India’s trade with the region.

The proposed India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) seeks to mutually benefit both the countries, in the area of trade in goods, and trade in services.  Seven rounds of India-Mauritius CECPA negotiations have been held till now.

On the Occasion of World Cotton Day organized by WTO in Geneva on October 7, 2019, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, announced the launch of Phase-II of C-TAP in 11 African countries. The programme is aimed at enhancing productivity in cotton sector, improving the post-harvest and plant by-products industry in the participating countries, as well as building the capacity of the cotton-based textile sector, according to a PIB release.

Ministry of Commerce & Industry with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly organised the India-Africa Higher Education and Skill Development Summit on August 26 & 27,  2019, in New Delhi.