|
|
|
India eyes FTAs with Latin America to boost EV manufacturing
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
|
|
|
SME Times News Bureau | 21 Jul, 2020
India proposes a major shift in its foreign trade policy, that will
explore free trade agreements (FTAs) only with countries that can
support its 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission and provide it necessary raw
materials, critical components and equipment required to support
manufacturing activities.
As a first step in this direction,
the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of
the Commerce Ministry has proposed entering into FTAs and mining
agreements with resource-rich countries in Latin America and Africa.
In
an internal presentation made by the department on augmenting
industrial growth in India, it has said that such focused FTA
arrangements will help the country to boost electric vehicle penetration
as countries such as Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Congo, and South Africa
are rich in mineral resources, particularly lithium and cobalt. These
minerals go into making the batteries that are critical to any EV plan.
A
free trade agreement is a preferential arrangement in which members
reduce tariffs on trade among themselves while maintaining their own
tariff rates for trade with non-members.
With India looking to
shift a third of its mobility on to the electric mode over the next few
years, such strategic trade agreements are expected to boost domestic
manufacturing of batteries and give a push to development of an EV
ecosystem in the country.
"This is very good idea that should
also be looked for other sectors where the country faces shortages of
domestic support systems. However, such FTAs can work only when
identified goods are secured and are cost-effective.... that gives
necessary advantages to the domestic industry," said a trade analyst
asking not to be named.
According to official estimate, in fact,
as of now, India has close to 50 trade agreements (including
preferential agreements) either in effect or signed or under negotiation
or proposed. Most of India's existing FTAs are with Asian countries
which are quite different from each other in terms of the level of their
economic development. In Latin America, India only has a trade
agreement with Chile.
However, India's FTAs have provided the
country only limited benefits, therefore voices of concern have been
raised both by the industry and within the government to review existing
trade arrangements and negotiate changes that work to the advantage of
Indian industry and does not work to destroy it through cheaper imports
of competing products.
The DPIIT presentation has also suggested
the need for incentivising consumer purchases of electric vehicles
including subsidies on pricing, credit support, lower taxation, toll
subsidies etc. it had also called for a phased plan that is worked for
next 10 years to set up charging stations for EVs across the country.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Customs Exchange Rates |
Currency |
Import |
Export |
US Dollar
|
66.20
|
64.50 |
UK Pound
|
87.50
|
84.65 |
Euro
|
78.25
|
75.65 |
Japanese
Yen |
58.85 |
56.85 |
As on 13 Aug, 2022 |
|
|
Daily Poll |
|
|
PM Modi's recent US visit to redefine India-US bilateral relations |
|
|
|
|
|
Commented Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|