Bilateral Updates

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom will come into force from July 15 with both sides reaching an understanding on the last-leg issues around Britain’s steel safeguard measures. The date for Entry into Force (EIF) of the agreement was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit at Evian in France.

Japan has halted mango imports from India after quarantine officials flagged deficiencies in pest-control procedures at Indian export treatment centres, dealing a blow to shipments during the peak summer mango season. The suspension affects premium Indian varieties including Alphonso, Kesar, Langra and Banganapalli, which are exported to Japan under strict phytosanitary rules. Japanese authorities are learnt to have raised concerns over whether Indian consignments were fully complying with the country's plant health standards.

India and Japan have held a key economic security dialogue meeting advancing industrial and technological collaboration in five sectors -- critical minerals, semiconductors, ICT including AI and telecom, clean energy and pharmaceuticals. The meeting was held in the backdrop of a newly formed centre in the Japanese foreign ministry to assist Japanese companies looking to expand into the bigger Indian market and ahead of Quad foreign ministers meeting here later this month. The Quad meeting will focus on critical mineral supply chains and emerging technology.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met a Japanese delegation led by Takayuki Kobayashi, Member of the House of Representatives and Chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, to discuss strengthening India-Japan economic engagement and enhancing bilateral cooperation across key sectors.

India on Thursday welcomed Japan’s decision to scrap a ban on lethal weapons exports. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said defence and security cooperation forms an important pillar of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The Japanese Cabinet, led by the country’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, revoked the ban on lethal weapons exports.