Lok Sabha Question No. 2899 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-15
Subject: Regional Trade Agreements
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2899 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  DECEMBER, 2021

## REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS

## 2899.  SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the list of countries with which India is planning to or negotiating an Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) currently;
- (b) the list of quantifiable benefits (without any jargon) of each existing RTA for India in the last five years, RTA-wise;
- (c) whether the RTAs have succeeded in investment creation;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government is planning to renegotiate an existing RTA; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

## (a):    India  is  actively  negotiating  Regional  Trade  Agreements  (RTAs)/Free  Trade  Agreements (FTAs) with the following countries/regions :

|   Sl. | Countries/Regions                                    | Name of the Agreement                                                 |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | UAE                                                  | India-UAE CEPA                                                        |
|     2 | Australia                                            | India - Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) |
|     3 | Canada                                               | India - Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement           |
|     4 | Israel                                               | India - Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA)                             |
|     5 | United Kingdom                                       | India-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP)                             |
|     6 | Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia | India-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA)       |

|   Sl. | Countries/Regions                                      | Name of the Agreement                                        |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|     7 | European Union                                         | India - EU Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) |
|     8 | South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia | India - SACU PTA                                             |

(b), (c) & (d):  India  has  signed  11  RTAs/FTAs  with  various  countries/regions  namely,  Japan, South Korea, Mauritius, countries of ASEAN region and countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. India's merchandise exports to these countries/regions have registered a growth of 20.75% in the last five years. As regards India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), as this has been implemented w.e.f. 01-042021, it is too early to calculate quantifiable benefits. The following table gives country/region wise merchandise export details:

| RTA partner countries/Region wise India's exports Values in US$ billion   | RTA partner countries/Region wise India's exports Values in US$ billion                                                  | RTA partner countries/Region wise India's exports Values in US$ billion      | RTA partner countries/Region wise India's exports Values in US$ billion   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| India RTA partner Countries/region                                        | Names of RTAs                                                                                                            | Export in FY 2016                                                            | Export in FY 2021                                                         |
| ASEAN                                                                     | India-ASEAN FTA India-Singapore CECA India-Malaysia CECA India-Thailand FTA - Early Harvest Scheme (EHS)                 | 25.13                                                                        | 31.49                                                                     |
| Japan                                                                     | India-Japan CEPA                                                                                                         | 4.66                                                                         | 4.43                                                                      |
| South Korea                                                               | India-South Korea CEPA                                                                                                   | 3.52                                                                         | 4.68                                                                      |
| SAFTA                                                                     | Agreement on SAFTA India-Sri Lanka FTA India-Nepal Treaty of Trade India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit | 18.60                                                                        | 22.08                                                                     |
| Mauritius                                                                 | India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA)                                     | It is too early to quantifiable this RTA, as it implemented only 10.04.2021. | calculate benefits for was w.e.f.                                         |

Source: Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S)

As per the FDI data maintained by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the cumulative investment received from the above countries/regions in the last 5 years (between October 2016 and September 2021) is to the tune of US$ 89.46 Billion. However, it is not possible to ascertain if investment from a country has taken place due to signing of an RTA or any other reason(s).

- (e)  &  (f):  Review  of  RTAs/FTAs  with  South  Korea,  ASEAN  and  Singapore  is  under consideration.