India’s trade talks: Piyush Goyal says FTA negotiations going on ‘subah se shaam’ – with America, Chile, EU & more

India is at the centre of major trade talks as it negotiates free trade agreements (FTAs) with several key partners, including the European Union, the United States, Chile, and Peru, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.Speaking at the Entrepreneur and Traders Leadership Summit, Goyal said that the world is looking at India as developed economies are actively engaging in trade discussions. He said the commerce ministry is working round the clock to push these negotiations forward.“Subah ke samay Australia aur Japan me daftar khul jaate hain, doopahar ka samay hota hai toh Europe khul jata hai, shaam ke samay hota hai toh America se baat-chhit shuru ho jati hai…Peru, Chile se baat chhit shuru ho jati hai (In the morning, offices open in Australia and Japan; by afternoon, Europe is active; in the evening, discussions begin with the US…and with Peru and Chile),” the minister said.He also highlighted that India and the US have been in bilateral trade agreement (BTA) talks since March. So far, five rounds of discussions have been held, but the US postponed its visit for the sixth round of negotiations in India.The talks come at a crucial time, when the US has imposed a sharp 50% tariff on Indian goods from 27 August. Currently, Indian imports to the US face a 25% tariff.