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India, Australia Accelerate CECA Talks; Goyal Meets Farrell to Boost Trade
M
Moneycontrol•02-10-2026, 07:43
India, Australia Accelerate CECA Talks; Goyal Meets Farrell to Boost Trade
- •India and Australia are fast-tracking negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), with ministers Piyush Goyal and Don Farrell reviewing the pact and existing trade agreement.
- •Discussions between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell covered pharmaceuticals, services, investment, agri-tech, and critical minerals.
- •The ministers also reviewed the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), emphasizing Indian businesses utilizing duty-free access in Australia.
- •CECA negotiations, initially launched in 2011 and relaunched in 2021, aim to build upon the foundation of the ECTA, which came into force in December 2022.
- •India and Australia are also pursuing a separate bilateral investment treaty (BIT) alongside CECA, aiming for a balanced, fair, and equitable agreement.
Key Questions Answered
India and Australia are discussing accelerating negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) alongside reviewing their existing trade pact implementation.
All Australian tariff lines for eligible Indian goods became duty-free starting from January 1, 2026, following the completion of Australia's tariff phase-out under ECTA.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India and Australia are actively pursuing a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) alongside the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.
