Commerce minister, Indian mission officials of 20 nations to discuss ways to boost exports in January 6-8 meet

Commerce ministry officials from 20 countries meet in New Delhi to discuss boosting exports and addressing trade challenges.

Senior officials from the commerce ministry and commercial wings of Indian Missions of 20 countries will hold a three-day meeting, beginning here on Monday (January 6, 2025), to discuss ways to promote exports of goods and services, an official said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will also interact with these commercial representatives on January 6.

The issues, which would come up during the three-day celebration included opportunities and challenges and the way ahead in six focus sectors (of goods and services each) in 20 countries of significance; non-tariff barriers; logistics; WTO (World Trade Organisation) matters; and role and importance of MAI (market access initiative), the official said.

The commerce ministry is in the process of formulating a strategy to push exports of six key product categories, including engineering goods and electronics, to 20 focus countries, including the U.S., Australia, France, China, Russia, the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia.

These countries, including the U.S. and the European Union nations, account for a major chunk of India's total exports.

Besides Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Amardeep Singh Bhatia would also address the officials.

After recording double-digit growth in October 2024, India's exports in November contracted 4.85% year-on-year to $32.11 billion, while the trade deficit widened to an all-time high of $37.84 billion due to a record surge in gold imports.