1.   

‘Diversifying to new markets will help increase exports’

Exporters can overcome the problem of global economic slowdown by focusing on new markets, Sumanta Chaudhuri, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, said here on Friday. Addressing a group of engineering exporters at an interactive meeting organised by EEPC India (formerly known as Engineering Export Promotion Council), he said that from 2008-09, the exporters had faced problems in global economy.

2.   

Bilateral trade likely to increase 3-fold after FTA: Israel

The bilateral trade between India and Israel is likely to increase three-fold after the free trade agreement between the two countries is signed, a diplomat said. The negotiations for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are expected to be concluded by the end of this year, Consul General of Israel in Mumbai Orna Sagiv told PTI here today. The trade between the two countries was around USD 5 billion during the last financial year, which is expected to touch USD 12-15 billion after the FTA, she said.

3.   

India, South Korea jog towards $40b trade target

India and South Korea expressed their determination to achieve a trade target of $40 billion by 2015 during a two-day visit of Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram who invited the South Korean businesses and industries to invest more in the Indian market, particularly in infrastructure. Chidambaram visited South Korea on November 2-3 to hold the 3rd India-Korea Finance Ministers’ Meeting here.

4.   

Punjab for port status to Wagah

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday described opening of Wagah border for trade as a game changer and said that once given the status of full port and allowed import and export of 6,000 items, it could change the total economic profile of North India. Delivering keynote address at Invest North, a national convention organised by Confederation of Indian Industry at Gurgaon.