The Australia- India Trade Relationship -- Past, Present and Future

[Vikrant]

Good move by Australia.

Citing that there was an urgent need to reverse the declining trade with India which dropped by over 26 per cent between 2009 to 2013, the white paper titled 'The Australia- India Trade Relationship -- Past, Present and Future possibilities', sketched a blueprint for the federal government to take the bilateral relations to a higher level.

Read more at:
White paper asks Australian government to engage with India on priority - The Economic Times

 

[Vikrant]

(Reuters) - Slowing growth in top trade partner China and plunging prices for iron ore and coal are adding impetus to Australian efforts to secure a free trade deal with India by the end of the year.

Officials are meeting in Canberra this week, a source familiar with the talks said, the second round of official discussions since Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed in November to accelerate long-running but slow-moving negotiations.

"Obviously things have slowed down on the iron ore and coal front, particularly from China, but we're confident there's going to be a strong phase of demand and growth coming out of India for coal and iron ore and also the arrangement to sell them uranium," said the source, who asked not to be identified because the talks have not been made public.

An agreement with India would cap an unprecedented two years for Australian trade negotiators, who have reached landmark free trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea.

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is currently in India to advance a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that has been in discussion since Australia lifted a long-standing ban on selling uranium to energy-starved India more than two years ago.

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Australia chases India trade deal as China slows iron ore tumbles Reuters