India is gearing up for upcoming Joint Trade Council (JTC) meetings with its key African trading partners, Kenya and Tanzania, set for this month.
The meetings are part of India's broader strategy to double its trade with African nations to $200 billion by 2030.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with industry councils and other governmental departments, is preparing for these discussions, with a focus on addressing current trade barriers and exploring new opportunities, according to Businessline publication.
An inter-ministerial consultation is planned to coordinate efforts across various sectors.
This comes at a time when Kenya and Tanzania have recently added avocado to the list of exports to India as they target the country's huge population.
Whereas Tanzania is exporting at duty free, Kenya's produce is levied 30 percent, making it uncompetitive in the market.
Kenya has restricted access of Indian rice seed to Kenya as the country is keen not to flood the local market with imported rice seed at the detriment of farmers who grow it in Mwea and other schemes in the country.
There are also fears that the new planting material could result in diseases that will affect the local crop, according to Kenya's plants regulator.
In a communication to the industry, the Indian government is reported to have requested detailed information on both tariff and non-tariff barriers, including regulatory challenges and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.
In the fiscal year 2023/24, India-Tanzania trade reached $7.9 billion, marking a 22 percent increase from the previous year, thereby making Tanzania India's second-largest trading partner in Africa.
India's exports to Tanzania, valued at $4.6 billion, include essential goods such as petroleum products, industrial machinery, tractors, and life-saving pharmaceuticals.
Trade between India and Kenya also saw significant activity in 2023/24, with Indian exports valued at $3.35 billion and imports at $176.34 million. India's exports to Kenya primarily consist of petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, machinery, cereals, sugars, plastics, vehicles, electrical machinery, organic chemicals, and paper products, similar to its exports to Tanzania.
