Outlook | 19 April 2018

India, Mauritius conclude second round of talks for FTA

India and Mauritius today concluded the second round of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments.

The three-day talks for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) started here on Tuesday, a government official said.

During the deliberations, trade in goods, services besides economic cooperation were discussed.

In an FTA, two trading partners cut or eliminate duties on majority of goods besides liberalising norms to promote services trade and boost investments.

According to experts, India may not get huge benefit in goods sector as Mauritius is a small market, but services sectors such as IT and tourism hold huge potential to enhance economic ties.

Island nation Mauritius is the top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India. In 2016-17, India received USD 15.72 billion.

The bilateral trade between the countries stood at about USD 900 million in 2016-17.