1.   

Govt tightens export norms for grapes, groundnuts

Export of grapes to European Union (EU) and shipping of groundnuts to world markets will now require registration from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Commerce Ministry has said. However, export of groundnuts and its products to Russia will not require such registration. "Export of groundnuts and its products to all countries except Russia would require registration from APEDA along with controlled aflatoxin level certificate by the recognised laboratories," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

2.   

India-EU FTA to create jobs, boost trade: IEBF

Implementation of the free-trade agreement between India and EU will help in creating lakhs of jobs besides boosting two-way trade, a London-based non-profit organisation has said. Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF), a non-government organisation involved in promoting trade between the two sides, said that both the regions are facing problems related with unemployment.

3.   

India, Mauritius need to boost economic ties

India and Mauritius, which share “strong synergies and complementarities” between their economies, need to explore the full potential of their economic relations, President Pranab Mukherjee has said. Addressing a banquet held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honour of visiting Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag on Friday evening, the president said the two countries also share the objective of peace and stability along the Indian Ocean.

4.   

India, Bangladesh need to open up more trading routes

India and Bangladesh have much to gain by opening up more trading routes through India's landlocked northeast. While Airtel, Arvind Mills and other Indian firms are already in Bangladesh, the country's eastern neighbours are keen to show that it has "more to offer than just Jamdani saris and Hilsa fish". Besides opening up more road and rail links to India's northeast, accepting each other's standards certifications and quick testing of goods would also boost trade enormously, say officials.