Looking to fast-track commerce pact evaluation talks with ASEAN: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday (July 10, 2025) mentioned discussions are underneath method with ASEAN to evaluation the prevailing commerce pact, and he’s trying ahead to fast-track the negotiations. The concern figured through the assembly between Mr. Goyal and his Malaysian counterpart T. Zafrul Aziz.

“Had a productive meeting with @Tzafrul_Aziz, Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry. Malaysia is India’s permanent coordinator from ASEAN on economic matters,” Mr. Goyal mentioned in a put up on X.

The Ministers mentioned the continued evaluation of ASEAN India Trade of Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and addressing its challenges therein.

No headway in India-ASEAN commerce deal evaluation regardless of 9 conferences in final one 12 months

“Looking forward to fast-tracking discussions with ASEAN Member States to ensure fair trade and balanced growth,” he mentioned including, “We also discussed furthering discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between both the countries”. The remarks assume significance because the evaluation talks are progressing sluggish.

The evaluation of the settlement is a long-standing demand of Indian trade, and India is trying ahead to an upgraded pact, which can handle the present asymmetries in bilateral commerce and can make commerce extra balanced and sustainable.

ASEAN members embody Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

A free commerce settlement in items between India and the 10-nation bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was signed in 2009. The ASEAN commerce deal got here into pressure in January 2010. In August 2023, each side introduced an entire evaluation of the prevailing settlement on items by 2025.