New Delhi [India]: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said, India is negotiating free trade agreements with several countries and groups, with talks with Chile quite ripe for conclusion and negotiations with Canada making good progress. Mr. Goyal told reporters in Canada that negotiations with the South Africa-led Southern African Customs Union (SACU) group have started. The two have inked terms of reference to formally start negotiations towards a preferential trade agreement in August. The five members of SACU are Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. In the trade pact with the US, he said India will have a comparative advantage over other countries and get preferential access. Talking about other pacts, he said Mexico is very keen to have an early harvest trade agreement. He expressed hope that the continuity of the government in Brazil following the election would help speed up negotiations to expand the Preferential Trade Agreement with the Mercosur bloc. Earlier, the minister met CEOs and business leaders of various sectors. Mr Goyal is on a two-day official visit to Canada.
[AIR News]