1.   

India, Germany to sign several pacts to boost trade ties

India and Germany are likely to sign several pacts in areas including renewable energy, trade, infrastructure and education during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Berlin next week. Speaking to reporters in NEw Delhi ahead of the three-day visit, German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner said the visit will boost trade and investment between the most populous countries in South Asia and Europe.

2.   

Customs asked to speed up clearance for perishable exports

To boost exports of perishable agro items, the Revenue Department has asked Customs officials to accord speedy clearance to such cargo and directed that "routine" checks should be done only in special cases. "...Export consignments of perishable agricultural goods should not be examined in a routine manner and should be examined only in cases of specific intelligence...," the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) communication to Customs said.

3.   

Easing tariff barriers key to Indo-NZ trade

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand, discussions for which commenced in January 2010, has a long way to go, given that the two countries are yet to thrash out tariff-related issues to double bilateral merchandise trade to NZ$2 billion by 2015. The Consul General & Trade Commissioner of New Zealand, Gavin Young, on the sidelines of an event, told Deccan Herald, “Traditionally, India has been very restrictive on what food items it allows and the tariffs thereon; we would like to see some of these restrictions eased.

4.   

'Inter-ministerial committee to focus on MSME exports'

The government is working out on a "New Mission" to boost manufacturing exports from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country that has witnessed decline in the percentage of growth to country’s overall exports. For this purpose, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has been decided to be set up by the Cabinet Secretary, Ajit Seth recently so that the panel can address the issues of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector and suggest ways that can boost exports from the sector.