RCEP NEGOTIATIONS

China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world's largest trade bloc backed by China. It took effect on Jan. 1, 2022 and groups 15 Asia-Pacific economies including Australia and Japan, as well as all 10 member-states of ASEAN.

India should adopt flexible, interest-based negotiations, not oppose trade-plus links with policy

If India wants to achieve a growth rate of 7%-plus in the years ahead, it should also aim for a strong export performance. World trade is likely to grow more slowly in the future than it did in the past. But, even so, India should aim at expanding its exports at rates faster than the world's. Our share in world exports is low enough that such expansion is not impossible, but difficult.

Hybrid trade negotiation: Let's not face it, set FTAs free

With the pandemic waning and international travel returning, will GoI revert to physical-only mode of negotiations, jettisoning the virtual and hybrid format? That would clearly be retrogressive.

View: Let us put best FTAs forward

Hopefully, the interim FTA signed with Australia will dispel that false notion. GoI is not averse to trade. Instead, it is inclined to take a strategic view, rather than adhere to textbook free trade. Indeed, that is what most successful countries practise.

Why India needs to approach its free trade agreements with an open mind

In July last year, a CRISIL report pointed to lack of FTAs as a key reason for decline in India’s textile exports between 2011 and 2020.

China's trade war with US resulted in loss of USD 550 billion: Report

The trade war, accompanied by a slowdown in China's economy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in the World Bank predicting a significant slowdown in the global economy as well as a lower prediction for the economic growth in the United States and China, reported The Hong Kong Post.

Philippines takes cue from India & defer RCEP ratification

The decision to defer ratification came after a group of farmers, fishers, civil society organizations, and the private sector in the Philippines expressed strong opposition to the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

View: Will India's self-reliance stance prove to be a costly mistake?

Team Modi has done a decent job providing physical and digital infrastructure as well as basic services like cheap housing, electricity, water, cooking gas and bank accounts; but this boosting of the “hardware” of the economy, the authors argue, has been accompanied by a weakening of its “software,” — its industrial policy.

One FTA step at a time: India needs to curb its new-found enthusiasm for free trade agreements

India needs to be clear why it wishes to have an FTA with a particular country. The list of countries we have preferential agreements with currently is baffling. China, with whom India has a trade deficit of over $55 billion, has access at preferential rates to more than 2,000 product lines as part of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA).

Goyal says India looking to work with US on market access, asks exporters to eye $2 trillion targets by 2030

The minister asked the export community to also target $2 trillion exports by 2030, with $1 trillion each from merchandise and services exports.

Japan played a big role in RCEP keeping the door open for India

The RCEP agreement is open for accession by India from the date of entry into force of the Agreement as provided in Article 20.9 (Accession) of the RCEP Agreement, according to the Ministerial Declaration issued on November 11 that signalled readiness to negotiate with Delhi for its entry into the trade bloc in future.

RCEP signatories ready for negotiations once India gives written request to join pact

Now the members of RCEP are 10-nation bloc ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

India-US trade negotiations still a challenge: Moody's Investors Service

The two sides have been trying to thrash out a trade package with limited scope with the long-term aim of a free trade agreement (FTA) since last year, amid a plethora of unresolved trade issues.

How India can solve the Chinese puzzle without hurting itself

By slowing Chinese imports, India would affect its own competitiveness, growth and exports.

RCEP nations offer India package to return to negotiating table

Members of the trade bloc urged India to convey its initial response to the package by May 15 as the Indo-Pacific region braces for a post-Covid-19 economic order, ET has learnt.

RCEP urges India to return to negotiating table as Covid-19 wrecks economies

“The 29th RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee Meeting was held via video conference on 20, 22 and 24 April attended by 15 RCEP Participating Countries (RPCs), that is, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand,” according to Joint Statement

View: Why we need not fear bilateral trade deficits when negotiating trade agreements like RCEP

As long as a country holds its overall exports and imports in balance and does not borrow abroad to finance its imports, it has nothing to worry about. If it has to borrow large amounts in relation to its export earnings to finance its imports year after year, it runs the risk of losing its credit in international markets, as we indeed did in 1991.

View: India's focus should shift to negotiating a better deal to gain entry into RCEP

The point is to negotiate efficiently, and gain more than we lose in a large, multilateral bargain.

India decided not to join RCEP in national interest, reviewing other FTAs: Piyush Goyal

India's negotiation posing challenge to RCEP: DBS Bank report

According to DBS Bank's report, India's reticence to participate in trade agreements has been on various grounds. For RCEP, it already runs a trade deficit with all the member countries.

Consult stakeholders while negotiating ASEAN, RCEP & FTA, says SEA

SEA is an apex body of the edible oil industry and all the major importers and refiners of edible oils including palm oil are the members of the Association.

RCEP countries agree to intensify negotiations to conclude trade pact this year

The progress of negotiations were reviewed during a meeting of all the trade ministers of 16 countries in Cambodia, which concluded Saturday.

How RCEP negotiations hinge on a single phrase

The most recent hiccup in the mega trade deal is the single phrase “substantial conclusion”.