India is negotiating free trade agreements with several countries and groups, with talks with Chile 'quite ripe' for conclusion and negotiations with Canada making good progress, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said, IANS reported. 'I can see Chile's quite ripe for conclusion; Canada is making very good progress. We have just started SACU negotiations, so it may take some time,' Goyal told reporters during his two-day Netherlands visit, IANS reported.

Source: IANS

Goyal said negotiations with the South Africa-led Southern African Customs Union have started, after the two sides inked terms of reference in August to formally start negotiations towards a preferential trade agreement, IANS and The Hindu BusinessLine reported. The five SACU members are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Mexico is very keen to have an early-harvest trade agreement, Goyal said, and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal is in Mexico City for a two-day visit that will see the launch of preferential trade agreement negotiations with the signing of terms of reference, The Hindu BusinessLine reported. Bilateral trade between India and Mexico dipped by over 9 per cent to USD 7.83 billion (yaani about $7.8 billion) in 2025-26, with exports of USD 5.72 billion and imports of USD 2.1 billion, the report said.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Goyal said discussions with the Gulf Cooperation Council could take longer due to the West Asia crisis, although India was ready to accelerate the process, and the proposed agreement with the Eurasian region was still being assessed as it covers goods but excludes services, ANI reported. He expressed hope that continuity of government in Brazil following elections would help speed up negotiations to expand the preferential trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc, IANS reported.

Source: ANI via Latestly

India was pursuing trade agreements to improve market access for domestic businesses and create opportunities across sectors including textiles, leather, footwear, agriculture, marine products, auto components and precision engineering, Goyal said, ANI reported. During the visit he also co-chaired the India-Netherlands Business Forum with Dutch minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, attended by about 200 people from Indian and Dutch businesses, IANS reported.

Source: IANS