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India FTAs & agriculture

Talks on to clinch FTA
22-Nov-2007
India is willing to grant concessions on tariffs for the four agricultural commodities that proved to be a hurdle in finalising the India Asean free trade agreement but made it clear that it expected other countries to match its steps to wrap up the deal.
Manmohan softens stance on FTA
22-Nov-2007
In a small but significant step forward, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said negotiations for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the 10-member Asean would be wrapped up by March next year and that India would show “necessary flexibility” to achieve this goal.
Farmers get a shield in India-EU FTA
22-Oct-2007 Economic Times
The free trade agreement (FTA) component of the India-European Union comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) is likely to exclude nearly 150 farm products to shield Indian farmers from increased competition posed by subsidised goods.
Open letter to the Prime Minister of India on the Indo-US Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture
6-Sep-2007
Given the interest generated with regard to the US-India nuclear deal, it is time to express our concerns on the US-India Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture, too, and not let it be implemented in a business-as-usual attitude.
India should not reduce farm import duties for FTAs: Jairam Ramesh
11-Jul-2007
India should not allow reductions in import duties on agriculture under its free trade agreements (FTAs), Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.
India`s ASEAN offer alive to concerns of plantation sector`
3-Jun-2007
India’s latest offer on duty cuts under the proposed FTA with ASEAN addresses long-term concerns of tea, coffee and pepper producers who are embarking on a major replantation drive, government has said.
India: China seeks market economy status
18-Apr-2007 The Hindu
India and China together represent the "new global economic architecture" Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday. But India and China themselves are often embroiled in fractious trade disputes.
South-south trade can lift rural farm fortunes
8-Apr-2007
Developments over the past few days have re-confirmed that the developing countries are more eager than developed countries to break the deadlock in multilateral trade. The developing countries have shown ample flexibility, without waiting for a response from the developed world.
Edible oils made India-ASEAN FTA out of reach in 2006
25-Dec-2006 The Hindu
In a country where oil diplomacy usually relates to petroleum resources, the year 2006 must have come as a lesson for top trade and foreign policy makers.
US-India Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture: Indian proposal (May 2006)
20-Aug-2006
A proposal to implement the US-India KIA from India
Farmers’ suicides may hit FTA deal
20-Aug-2006 Gulf Daily News
India is citing the fear of political fallout and its suicide epidemic among farmers as obstacles to hammering out a free-trade deal with Southeast Asia, officials said yesterday.
WTO chief Pascal Lamy upbeat about global trade talks
3-Jul-2006
The World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy is upbeat about global trade talks, with the U.S. having indicated that it will go further to cut trade distorting farm subsidies. He is also expecting better offers from all the other major players in the round, including the European Union and the Group of 20 that includes India, Brazil and China, during the mini-ministerial conference next week in Geneva.
Govt working to check Lankan pepper imports
11-Jun-2006 The Hindu
Sri Lanka’s pepper exports to the country are a threat to the Indian growers and the Union Government would work out a solution through political and other means, according to Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce.
Integrate Indian farm sector globally? It would have disastrous consequences
12-May-2006 Economic Times
Presently, the ever growing number of FTAs without adequate protection for the agricultural sector is a matter of serious concern. This would jeopardise the food security of our country.
Free trade pact not to hurt farmers
9-May-2006
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the proposed Indo-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) would not affect Indian farmers.
Sonia’s ire on Indo-ASEAN free trade moves
7-May-2006
The Indian Government’s move to go in for more Free Trade Agreements with Asian countries has run into difficulties with Congress President Sonia Gandhi asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "very carefully scrutinise" India-ASEAN FTA to safeguard interests of domestic farmers.
Sri Lanka FTA gives traders oily woes
18-Apr-2006 CNN-IBN
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Sri Lanka is costing Indian vanaspati-makers a fortune. With the Sri Lankan vanaspati flooding the Indian market, factories are shutting down, rendering hundreds of people jobless.
Indo-ASEAN free trade deal in trouble
11-Apr-2006 IPS
A proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the ten-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has hit a major roadblock with India’s agriculture ministry objecting to the inclusion of commodities like pepper, rubber, palm oil, coffee and tea in an ambitious tariff liberalisation programme.
Jairam Ramesh cautions on free trade pacts
10-Apr-2006 Indo-Asian News Service
’A free trade agreement with China will be suicidal,’ Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said Monday.
India-Asean FTA hits a roadblock
25-Mar-2006 NDTV
The India-Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has hit a roadblock with Agriculture Ministry objecting to inclusion of farm products like pepper, rubber, palm oil, coffee and tea in the tariff liberalisation programme.