1.   

New Indian President calls for expanded trade with Fiji

India’s newly elected President Pranab Mukherjee has called on expansion of trade and investment between India and Fiji. Mukherjee expressed happiness that India’s development experience was being shared with Fiji through training slots for its nationals and scholarships for students. Mukherjee also referred to the assistance being provided by India in agriculture and healthcare sectors as well as in the sugar industry, and cooperation in the field of defense.

2.   

Right time to clear old wheat stocks

The Government’s (GoI) initiative to bring down burgeoning wheat stocks in the central pool through exports, is in its first stage of implementation. Three tenders for the export of approximately 0.25 million tonnes of “milling wheat” opened last week (August 3) by public sector undertakings, PEC/STC/MMTC  met with an excellent response. There was expression of open interest of 1.27 million tonnes from international buyers, with quotes around $300/ tonne (f.o.b)  Rs 16,800 for “2012-13 crop”, from the west coast of India.

3.   

Pakistan-India thaw: Commerce secretaries to meet soon

Amidst improving trade relations, commerce secretaries of Pakistan and India are expected to meet soon, according to India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal. However, he would not say when the meeting would take place. The two commerce secretaries were due in May – but the meeting was delayed after Islamabad pressed New Delhi for more trade concessions.

4.   

India set to expand PTA with Chile

India's Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma Tuesday met Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chile Alfredo Moreno, and expressed satisfaction at the very strong political, diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries. The ministers recognised the role of the various MoUs and the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) in the growing economic ties between the two countries.