India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has held talks with Australia’s Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell to accelerate the “second tranche” of the India–Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), a deal intended to expand on the 2022 interim trade pact and deepen two-way flows in goods, services and investment.
The discussion, flagged by Indian media after a post from Mr Goyal on X, comes as both governments look to lock in new market access while navigating sensitive sectors.
The push builds on the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which entered into force on 29 December 2022 and has already eliminated or reduced tariffs across a broad swathe of trade. Canberra says over 85 per cent of Australian goods exports to India are now tariff-free, rising to 90 per cent by 1 January 2026, with negotiations “resumed for an ambitious CECA” to build on those outcomes.
New Delhi’s recent briefing notes that, since ECTA’s signing, bilateral merchandise trade more than doubled from USD 12.2 billion in 2020–21 to USD 26 billion in 2022–23, before moderating to USD 24 billion in 2023–24 as global conditions cooled. Both sides have reiterated a shared objective to lift total trade to around AUD 100 billion by 2030.
CECA talks have long targeted chapters and commitments that were parked during ECTA, including wider tariff cuts, services access, investment rules, digital trade and procurement. But negotiators still face political headwinds.
Industry and government sources recently told Reuters that tariff reductions for Australian dairy remain sticking points, with India reluctant to move quickly on products that face domestic sensitivities—even as it signals openness on non-agricultural goods and services mobility.
On the Australian side, ministers and business groups have argued that a comprehensive pact would unlock new opportunities in critical minerals, clean energy supply chains and advanced services, complementing India’s growth priorities and Australia’s resource strengths.
For now, both capitals are presenting the latest interaction as momentum rather than a finish line: implement the gains from ECTA, keep CECA moving, and aim to convert negotiations into tangible access for exporters, investors and workers on both sides.
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