Apparel exporters seeks expeditious finalisation of India-EU FTA

New Delhi : Apparel exporters sought expeditious finalisation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement to enable better market access for Indian exporters whose total outbound shipments stood at USD 15.7 billion last year. "India's clothing exports to the FTA countries have increased significantly after signing of the FTA/PTA (Preferential Trade) agreements.

"These markets accounted for 12 % share of India's clothing exports and around 58 % (of USD 475 mn in 2013) share in the country's global clothing import", Apparel Exports Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Virender Uppal said.

"We recommend the Government to expedite the process of India-EU FTA finalisation, as this will help exporters to have better market access, that is already enjoyed by India's competitors like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia," Uppal said in the presence of Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar.

"This fair will provide the much-needed opportunity to source garments from India. The whole world is looking at us with hope.

This sector, which yields rich dividend in terms of forex export earnings and huge employment potential, has received attention at the highest level," Gangwar said.

Source : dailyshippingtimes.com