Trade Sec-Sideline Meetings w/EU, UK & Canada At G20 Next Week

Wires carrying comments from Indian Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal ahead of next week's meeting of G20 trade ministers in Jaipur from 24-25 August. States that on the sidelines bilateral talks will take place with reps from the United Kingdom, European Union and Canada.

• The EU, UK and Canada are all seeking to reach trade agreements with India in the near future.
  • In 2022, India and Canada relaunched negotiations regarding a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, and following a bilateral meeting earlier in 2023 the two are aiming to finalise a memorandum of understanding by year-end.
  • The UK has touted an FTA with India as a key post-Brexit objective, with the 12th round of negotiations beginning on 21 August in Delhi. Significant differences remain on tariffs, migration and visas. However, circumstances could push a deal forwards, with PM Narendra Modi looking to portray India as a business-friendly country ahead of next year's general election while the Indian heritage of UK PM Rishi Sunak has beenposited as a potential driver of bilateral goodwill ahead of the G20 leaders' summit.
  • The EU is also seeking a formalised trade deal with India. The first EU-India Trade and Technology Council Summit took place in May, but Politico highlights divisions remain regarding the EU's "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a border tax that [...] will see importers [...] having to pay a levy equivalent to the carbon priced paid by their European rivals that are part of the bloc's carbon emissions trading scheme."