India’s sugar output set to rise 12% in 2026-27 on higher cane area, improved recovery: USDA.
India’s total sugar production for the season 2026-27 starting October is likely to rise by 12 per cent to around 33.6 million tonnes, over current year’s 30 million tonnes, on higher cane production aided by healthy crop conditions and improved recovery, according to the local office of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FAS New Delhi said the forecast of 33.6 million tonnes on a raw value basis, comprising of 31.4 million tonnes of crystal sugar and 62,000 tonnes of khandari, is grounded in field survey observations conducted in March 2026 across Maharashtra’s primary sugar cane growing districts, that documented healthy crop stands and favourable growing conditions.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
5th India–Tanzania Joint Trade Committee Meeting Held in Dar es Salaam to Strengthen Bilateral Economic Cooperation.
The 5th Session of the India–Tanzania Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held on 29–30 April 2026 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The meeting was co-chaired by Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Shri Rajesh Agrawal, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Amb. Dr. Samwel William Shelukindo. The session reviewed the progress achieved since the 4th Session held in New Delhi in August 2017 and reaffirmed a shared commitment to further strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
Source: pib.gov.in
FSSAI updates payment workflow for imported food clearances, removes bottlenecks.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced a shift in its payment workflow for imported food clearances. The update, aimed at streamlining the Food Import Clearance System (FICS) and the Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT), represents a major effort to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks at India’s ports of entry.
Source: fnbnews.com
FSSAI directs states to intensify vigil against use of chemicals to ripen fruits.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an urgent directive to all States and Union Territories to intensify vigil against the illegal use of prohibited chemicals to ripen seasonal fruits. In an advisory, the regulatory body reiterated a strict ban on Calcium Carbide, commonly known as 'Masala.'
Source: fnbnews.com
FTAs to help boost exports, generate jobs: Piyush Goyal.
The free trade agreements (FTAs) finalised by India in the last three and a half years will help provide duty-free access to domestic goods, boost the country's exports and generate lakhs of jobs for people, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He said that India and New Zealand have recently signed a trade pact, under which the island nation will invest USD 20 billion (about Rs 2 lakh crore) in India.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Commerce ministry notifies RoDTEP schedules to align with amended customs tariff structure.
The commerce ministry on Thursday notified revised remission of duties and taxes on exported products (RoDTEP) schedules for alignment with the amended customs tariff structure. The revision, it said, covers 194 tariff lines or product categories, including the addition of 142 new 8-digit tariff lines, deletion of 50 and modification.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
IMEC momentum to boost Karnataka exports amid global trade disruptions.
Karnataka's exporters are set to benefit as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) gathers momentum as an alternative to traditional maritime choke points, a senior tax official said, pointing to shifting global trade routes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Addressing a seminar on 'Navigating Geo-Political Challenges: Policy Measures and Preparedness to Build Resilience,' Kotraswamy M, Commissioner of Central Tax, Bengaluru North, said disruptions around key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal had underscored the need for more reliable corridors.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Govt develops export monitoring framework to meet FY31 $2 trillion export target.
The Department of Commerce has developed a structured Export Monitoring Framework which breaks down the national target into sector-wise actions across engineering goods, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and services for India to reach its target of $2 trillion of goods and services exports by 2030-31, the government said Wednesday.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
From surplus to strain: World rice supply threatened by Iran war, El Nino.
Rice supply is expected to fall this year as farmers cut planting acreage across Asia because of fertiliser shortages and soaring fuel costs from the Iran war, with an emerging El Nino also set to squeeze output of the world’s most consumed staple. Rice is central to global food security, and even modest supply disruptions can ripple through countries, lifting prices and straining household budgets, particularly among price-sensitive consumers in Asia and Africa. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization in April forecast rice output would expand by 2% to a record high in 2025/26.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Indian mango exports disrupted as shipping costs surge.
A grower in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, is holding 60,000 boxes of Alphonso mangoes, each containing 12 fruits valued at Rs. 3,500 (about US$42) in export markets. As of March 2026, shipments to West Asia have not moved due to restricted transit and higher insurance costs. Buyers in Dubai, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have stopped placing orders.
Source: freshplaza.com