India Pushes Trade Agreements at WTO Ministerial Conference

On 29th March 2026, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held multiple bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC-14) to accelerate trade agreements and strengthen global economic partnerships.

Key Points

Engagement with Canada:
- Discussed early conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
- Focus on sectors like clean energy, pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy, and critical minerals.
India-UK Trade Progress:
- Reviewed implementation of India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
- Emphasis on business outreach and utilisation of the agreement.
Talks with New Zealand:
- Progress on India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
- Cooperation in agriculture (kiwi, apple cultivation) and sports.
India-EU Discussions:
- Reviewed progress on India-EU FTA.
- Focus on early conclusion and expansion of trade ties.
WTO-Level Issues:
- Reform of multilateral trading system.
- Moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce.
- Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement.
India’s Stand:
- Emphasised WTO as a consensus-based, member-driven organisation.
- Highlighted need to resolve agriculture-related issues before new negotiations.