Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state:-

(a) the names of countries with which India has so far entered into Free Trade Agreements(FTA) or similar agreements; and

(b) the specific industries which have been adversely affected by these agreements?

ANSWER 

MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI KAMAL NATH)

(a)& (b): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 283 FOR ANSWER ON 5TH DECEMBER 2007 REGARDING 'FTA WITH OTHER COUNTRIES'

(a) India has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Sri Lanka, Singapore, Nepal & Bhutan. India has also signed South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India has signed Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) with Afghanistan, Chile and MERCOSUR, and is also signatory to the regional preferential trading agreements, namely, Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (Bangladesh, China, India, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka as members) & Global System of Trade Preference (open to all developing countries). India has an Early Harvest Scheme with Thailand where tariff concessions are exchanged on 82 products.

(b)        Some of the industries which complained being affected by the FTAs relate to Vanaspati, Copper, Zinc Oxide from Nepal and Sri Lanka. Appropriate measures were put in place to safeguard their interests.