APAL visits India to deepen trade relationship
Export & Market AccessAustralian businesses are now able to take advantage of new trade opportunities as the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) entered into force on 29 December 2022.
The agreement helps secure Australia’s foothold in the world’s fastest growing large economy and enables Australian businesses to unlock or expand their operations in a market of nearly one and a half billion people.
The key outcome for the apple and pear industry under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) was an immediate 50 per cent tariff reduction within an annual quota of 3,700 tonnes for pears.
In January 2023, APAL CEO, Phil Turnbull, and Head of Industry Services, Justin Smith, travelled to India to build relationships with their counterparts and explore how Australia and India could deepen their trading relationship in the apple and pear category.
Accompanied by Australian Government Officials, APAL met with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to discuss areas for potential collaboration in research and development activities.
This was followed by meetings with key Indian government stakeholders including the Resident Commissioner, Government of Himachal Pradesh, the Secretary of Horticulture, Government of Uttarakhand and the Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
APAL looks forward to continuing the dialogue it has established with Indian counterparts and intends to visit the market again in the near future.
Ms Meera Mohanty, IAS Resident Commissioner of Himachal Pradesh (centre) with Phil Turnbull, APAL CEO and Justin Smith, APAL Head of Industry Services, and growers from Himachal Pradesh.
