India stepped up its trade diplomacy on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal holding a series of bilateral discussions focused on expanding market access, boosting investment and advancing ongoing trade negotiations.
Goyal held separate meetings with trade counterparts from Canada, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, while also engaging with officials from the United States, European Union, Brazil, Mexico and Poland during the gathering.
With Canada, Goyal reviewed the ongoing negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which aims to deepen economic ties and help take bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030.
“Building on our recent meeting in Mumbai, we reaffirmed our commitment to expediting negotiations and working towards an early conclusion of the agreement,” Goyal said following his meeting with Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.
The CEPA negotiations were launched by the two countries’ prime ministers in March as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral economic relations.
Goyal also held talks with Saudi Arabia’s Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, focusing on the proposed India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) free trade agreement.
The two ministers reviewed the progress of the FTA negotiations and discussed ways to expand trade and investment ties between India and Saudi Arabia.
“Explored opportunities to further strengthen trade & investment ties between our two nations,” Goyal said.
South Korea was another key focus of India’s trade engagement in Milwaukee. Goyal met South Korean Trade Minister Park Jung-Sung to discuss upgrading the India-Korea CEPA.
The discussions included efforts to promote more balanced trade and improve market access for Indian agricultural, pharmaceutical and marine products. The two sides also discussed Korean manufacturing investments in India.
Goyal’s Milwaukee engagements also included talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as India and the United States continued negotiations on an interim trade agreement under the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
“Had a productive discussion with USTR Greer towards early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement,” Goyal said. The two officials also exchanged views on the G20 deliberations. Greer separately described the discussions as “very constructive.”
With European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Goyal discussed the ongoing India-EU free trade agreement negotiations, the Trade and Technology Council, reform of the World Trade Organization and G20 priorities.
Goyal also met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Márcio Fernando Elias Rosa. Their discussions covered the proposed expansion of the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement, sectoral cooperation and investment, as well as coordination at the G20 and WTO.
In talks with Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, Goyal explored opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment. He said there was “huge potential for deeper cooperation” between the two countries.
Goyal’s discussions with Poland’s Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański focused on strengthening trade and investment ties and identifying new opportunities for businesses.
The meetings in Milwaukee brought several of India’s key trade negotiations together on one diplomatic platform, covering the United States, European Union, Canada, GCC and South Korea, while also expanding discussions on economic cooperation with Brazil, Mexico and Poland.
The engagements underline New Delhi’s broader push to widen market access for Indian businesses, attract investment and advance trade agreements with major global economic partners.
