India-ASEAN
Over a period of five years, India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) negotiated a bilateral free trade agreement — with plenty of difficulty.
Under their initial bilateral framework agreement, signed in Bali on 8 October 2003, the India-ASEAN FTA for goods was supposed to be finalised by 30 June 2005. Negotiations on services would start in 2005 and end in 2007.
After a year’s delay, discussions ground to a halt in June 2006 when India released its ’negative list’ of items to be excluded from tariff reductions — with 900 products, both industrial and agricultural, figuring on the list. (This was down from India’s initial negative list of 1,410 items.) India’s agriculture ministry, in particular, was arguing hard to exclude commodities like rubber, pepper, tea, coffee and palm oil from the deal. Rules of origin have been the other thorny issue.
Two months later, in August 2006, Delhi issued a revised list, pruned down to 560 items. However, tremendous fears about the impacts of the India-ASEAN FTA on farmers continued to rattle the discussion.
By early 2007, in the midst of the new biofuels boom, palm oil became a central blockage point as Indonesia and Malaysia, both top palm oil exporters, struggled to get India to lower its tariffs.
On 28 August 2008, a deal was finally concluded. The agreement was signed in 2009 and took effect (trade in goods) with 5 of the countries and India in January 2010, (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand). India is pushing – without much apparent process – for a services liberalization deal with the ASEAN countries.
last update: May 2012
Articles
-
15-Jan-2015 India-ASEAN services & investment FTA to be in force from July
India’s free trade agreement (FTA) in services and investments with 10-member ASEAN Grouping will come into force from July this year, paving the way for freer movement of professionals and further investment opportunities. -
23-Oct-2014 India gains little from FTAs on services front
If you thought India’s services trade agreement with Asean is going to open the doors for Indian professionals to work in the 10-member trading bloc, you may be in for a surprise. Similar agreements with Japan and South Korea — which the government said will help Indian nurses, architects and even yoga professionals have not resulted in any visas. -
3-Oct-2014 Financial Express Asean free trade agreement review shows India ’got almost nothing’
Barely a month after the government sealed the trade pact in services and investments with the Asean, an internal assessment of the deal that has been placed before the Cabinet Secretariat concludes that India has got “almost nothing” by signing the agreement. -
9-Sep-2014 Vietnam Plus ASEAN y la India firman Tratado de Libre Comercio
La India y la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste de Asia (ASEAN) firmaron el Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) sobre los servicios y la inversión, informó hoy el portal digital “The Hindu”. -
9-Sep-2014 VNA Signature d’un accord de libre-échange Inde-ASEAN
L’Inde a signé avec l’ASEAN un accord de libre-échange (FTA) sur les services et l’investissement -
8-Sep-2014 PTI India signs FTA in services, investments with ASEAN
India has signed the free trade agreement (FTA) in services and investments with 10-member ASEAN, paving the way for freer movement of professionals and further opening opportunities for investments. -
27-Aug-2014 Economic Times Signing of India-ASEAN FTA likely via circulation process soon
India, which did not attend the ASEAN ministers meeting this week, will propose a circulation process for signing the India-ASEAN trade pact in services and investments. -
11-Aug-2014 PTI India, ASEAN likely to sign FTA later this month
India and the 10-nation ASEAN are likely to sign the long-delayed free trade agreement in services and investments later this month when their economic and trade ministers meet. -
8-Aug-2014 India Briefing ASEAN-India services and investment FTA inches closer to implementation
The ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Services and Investment is one step closer to implementation following approval by Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce to accept the terms outlined in the region-wide agreement. -
30-Jul-2014 First Biz UPA may have left another can of worms in Anand Sharma’s free trade agreements
One of the most serious long-term damages done by any ministry under the UPA — in India — was commerce under Anand Sharma.
News from the movements
-
26-Feb-2015 El Faradio
Izquierda Unida también se moviliza contra el TTIP
Desde Izquierda Unida este viernes se ha organizado un acto público en el Colegio Público Cisneros sobre el Tratado de Libre Comercio e Inversiones entre EEUU y la Unión Europea (TTIP). -
26-Feb-2015 IGJ
Update on Indonesia BITs review
Indonesia for Global Justice together with Indonesian civil society networks met with the Director of Bilateral Cooperation of Investment Coordinating Board, Fritz Horas Silalahi, in Jakarta to discuss the review of Indonesia Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITS). -
25-Feb-2015 Financial Express
Will a new US-led IP empire in India put access to medicines at risk?
Prof Brook K Baker, Professor of Law and Northeastern University, cautions that the Modi government’s accelerating flirtation with the US and its investors is dangerous to hundreds of millions of people worldwide whose lives depend on Indian generics -
23-Feb-2015 Planète Non Violence
Les Américains veulent imposer TAFTA avec interdiction de BDS
Une loi bipartisane est en préparation au Congrés US pour conditionner l’Accord de Libre Echange Transatlantique (TAFTA) à l’interdiction par les pays membres de l’UE de toute campagne BDS (Boycott Desinvestissement Sanctions contre Israël). -
20-Feb-2015 Electronic Intifada
How EU-US trade deal could thwart “boycott Israel” campaign
Two members of the US Congress have introduced a bill that would turn a giant trade deal between the EU and US into a devastating weapon against the people of Palestine and all those seeking justice alongside them. -
19-Feb-2015 Entrescantos.es
TTIP, un tratado que te afecta
El pasado domingo 8 de febrero, organizada por la Asamblea Popular de Tres Cantos, se celebró la charla TTIP, un tratado que te afecta. -
19-Feb-2015 TNI
ISDS beyond TTIP: EU reforms and impacts on the Global South
Public event organised by Transnational Institute, Friends of the Earth Europe and Traidcraft on 4 March 2015 in Brussels -
19-Feb-2015 Enkrateia Project
III Conference of the Euro-Mediterranean network of social movements and entities against the abusive exploitation of fossil fuels: Barcelona, 7-8 March 2015
This meeting will enable us to improve the coordination of our European network and study its joint strategy in 2015, a year in which the TTIP/CETA/TISA/ISDS will be on the political agenda throughout much of Europe.
