Overview
- Trade Minister Don Farrell said at the National Press Club on Monday that negotiators will return to India within weeks to pursue a wider pact.
- He warned the process will be tough and incremental, saying India’s Piyush Goyal is a hard negotiator and that progress will come step by step.
- The current agreement, in force since December 2022, removed tariffs on more than 85% of Australian goods worth over $12 billion a year, and two-way trade has grown 17%.
- Farrell linked the new push to momentum from Australia’s recent EU deal, which he said includes 30,600 tonnes of extra beef access each year and could be ratified by the end of 2026.
- A deeper accord could open more doors for wine makers, seafood and lamb producers, and miners supplying critical minerals as India’s middle class grows toward a projected 900 million by 2030.