Latest news with #DepartmentofCommerce
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
India's leather, footwear exports to UK likely to double to $1 billion: Piyush Goyal
India's leather and footwear exports to the UK are expected to nearly double from $494 million in 2024 to $1 billion within three years following the signing of the bilateral free trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. The agreement also simplifies customs procedures, aligns technical standards, and ensures protection of Indian Geographical Indications (GI) such as Kolhapuri footwear and Mojari, allowing Indian products to gain enhanced visibility in the UK's $8.7 billion leather and footwear market, the minister observed at a meeting with exporters here. Key manufacturing hubs across the country are set to benefit significantly, with a projected surge in demand expected to generate thousands of new jobs, particularly among MSMEs, artisans, women entrepreneurs, and youth-led enterprises, he added. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) eliminates the UK's import duties for Indian products, which till now have ranged from 2 per cent to 8 per cent for leather goods, 4.5 per cent for leather footwear, and 11.9 per cent for non-leather footwear. This levels the playing field for Indian exporters against competitors such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam, who have enjoyed preferential access to the UK market. By facilitating duty-free access and regulatory ease, the India-UK CETA enhances pricing power and global visibility for Indian manufacturers, especially in high-quality leather and fashion products that are in strong demand in the UK. Government initiatives like the Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP), with an outlay of Rs 1,700 crore, and the proposed Focus Product Scheme for the footwear and leather sector support capacity expansion, technology upgrades, creation of mega clusters and design studios, and international brand promotion, the minister pointed out. The Department of Commerce held an industry interaction with stakeholders from the textiles, leather and footwear sector to discuss the opportunities created by India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Goyal said that the agreement is a transformative opportunity for India's textiles, leather, and footwear industries. He noted that the CETA has also positioned India's textile sector for a significant surge in exports. The agreement provides Indian textile & clothing products with duty-free access to the UK market and addresses the duty disadvantages (of up to 12 per cent) that the Indian textiles sector faced in the UK vis-a-vis some key competing countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Pakistan. The zero-duty market access will benefit segments such as ready-made garments, home textiles, carpets, and handicrafts and set the tone for a sharp surge in exports. The agreement will help in increasing the demand for Indian textiles and benefit all major textile clusters such as Tirupur, Jaipur, Surat, Ludhiana, Panipat, Bhadohi, and Moradabad. The CETA is expected to have a positive impact across the textiles value chain, benefiting various stakeholders and boosting employment generation in this labour-intensive sector. The representatives of various Export Promotion Councils and Industry associations welcomed the India–UK CETA and mentioned that the duty-free access will make Indian products more competitive and provide a level playing field to Indian textile exporters. During the interactions, the need for follow-up steps to be taken by the textiles industry to effectively utilise the benefits provided by the FTA was also emphasised.
Engadget
a day ago
- Business
- Engadget
Trump temporarily drops export controls to smooth negotiations with China
After previously saying that the US would block exports of key AI chips to China, Donald Trump's administration may have backtracked. The US will now temporarily block restriction on exports of chips and other technology to China, the Financial Times reported. The aim is to help Trump book a meeting with China President Xi Jinping later this year in order to strike a trade deal, according to people familiar with the matter. Export controls are dictated by the US Commerce Department, which was reportedly told to avoid tough moves on China, according to eight people including current and former US officials. Trump is said to have wanted to avoid angering Xi due to the risk of China retaliating further on the export of crucial rare earths and magnets. Last week, NVIDIA said it would be able to resume selling key AI chips to China after being blocked earlier by the Department of Commerce. "The US government has assured NVIDIA that licenses will be granted and NVIDIA hopes to start deliveries soon," the company stated in a blog post. Today's news of frozen export controls effectively backs up that statement. However, 20 people including security experts and former US officials, including from Trump's previous administration, wrote the Department of Commerce saying it was a bad idea to give China access to advanced AI chips. "This move represents a strategic mis-step that endangers the United States' economic and military edge in artificial intelligence," they said in a letter. "By supplying China with these chips, we are fueling the very infrastructure that will be used to modernize and expand the Chinese military."
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
'Misleading': APEDA rejects allegations on organic cotton certification
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has strongly rejected the allegations made by an opposition leader regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), a Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement said on Sunday. In the statement, the APEDA clarified that the claims made during a recent press briefing were "unfounded, unsubstantiated and misleading", and only serve to weaken the credibility of India's robust regulatory system. The NPOP, launched in 2001 by the Department of Commerce, is India's official organic certification programme for exports. It is implemented by the APEDA and follows a strict third-party certification process. The system has been recognised as equivalent to the standards of the European Union, Switzerland, and accepted by the UK, with a mutual recognition arrangement in place with Taiwan as well. Addressing the allegations that organic cotton production is concentrated only in Madhya Pradesh and involves a limited number of farmer groups, the APEDA said this is entirely incorrect. As of July 19, the NPOP covers 4,712 active organic grower groups across 31 states and Union Territories -- representing nearly 19.3 lakh certified farmers producing a variety of crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, tea, coffee, spices, and cotton. The APEDA also clarified that cotton is covered under NPOP only till the production stage. Post-production processes like ginning and processing are handled under separate private certifications, not under NPOP. The claims that farmers receive Rs 50,000 per hectare as a subsidy under NPOP were also dismissed by the APEDA, stating that neither the Department of Commerce nor the APEDA provides any such financial support under the programme. To ensure credibility, the NPOP has a multi-layered system of checks. Certification Bodies, both government and private, carry out annual audits and inspections of farms. These are further monitored by the National Accreditation Body (NAB) through unannounced audits coordinated by the APEDA. Any case of non-compliance or malpractice is thoroughly investigated, and strict action is taken against defaulting certification bodies or grower groups.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
AU to lead evaluation of NEP-based edu across 8 states
Allahabad University (AU) has bagged a prestigious project from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) to assess the implementation and impact of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 across eight northern Indian states. (Sourced pic for representation) This marks the first time the Department of Commerce at AU has been entrusted with a major ICSSR-funded project, according to university officials. With a total funding of ₹30 lakh, the two-year study will encompass Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. The research will primarily focus on the NEP's 'Panchkosha' model of holistic education, which emphasises five key dimensions of development: physical, mental, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional, shared officials. The study, led by Srijan Anant, assistant professor in the Department of Commerce and Principal Investigator of the project, aims to evaluate how the NEP's principles are being implemented at various levels of the education system through in-depth field surveys. The research will involve collaboration with experts from four prominent institutions: Prof Surya Rashmi Rawat (Central University of Himachal Pradesh), Prof Geeta Bhatt (University of Delhi), Prof Suneel Kumar (Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi) and the team from Allahabad University. 'The study will offer empirical insights into the practical application of NEP 2020 reforms—such as outcome-based learning, digital integration, inclusivity, and the integration of Indian knowledge systems. A key focus is the implementation of the Panchkosha framework, which draws on India's ancient educational traditions to foster holistic student development,' said Anant. As part of the project, field visits will be carried out at various schools, colleges, and universities. Researchers will conduct interviews with students, teachers, and parents to gather ground-level data. A comparative analysis of the educational policies and functioning of state education boards will also be undertaken to identify ways to better align current practices with the NEP's holistic approach. The study will engage nearly 3,000 stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, institutional heads, and policymakers. It aims to assess the inclusivity and effectiveness of NEP 2020 across diverse educational settings and generate actionable policy recommendations. These insights are expected to support improvements in regional equity, infrastructure development, teacher training, and the empowerment of both students and parents, the research team noted.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Nvidia AI chips worth $1bln entered China despite US curbs, FT reports
Nvidia's advanced artificial intelligence chips worth at least $1 billion were smuggled to China in the three months after Washington tightened chip export controls, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The AI chip designer's high-end B200 processors, banned for sale in China, is widely available on a thriving Chinese black market for U.S. chips, the report said, citing sales contracts, company filings and multiple people with direct knowledge of the deals. Nvidia told Reuters that building data centers with smuggled products is inefficient both technically and financially, as the company only offers service and support for authorized products. The U.S. Department of Commerce, White House and Thai government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the FT report. In May, multiple Chinese distributors started selling B200s to suppliers of data centers that serve Chinese AI groups, according to the report. The U.S. and China are battling for global dominance in AI and other cutting-edge technologies, triggering a tightrope walk for companies such as Nvidia between the world's two largest economies. Nvidia last week said it would be allowed to resume sales to China after the Trump administration reversed an export restriction on the sales of chips such as H20. The curbs were imposed in April. In the three months before that, Chinese distributors from Guangdong, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces sold Nvidia's B200s, as well as other restricted processors such as the H100 and H200, according to the report. Southeast Asian countries have become markets where Chinese groups obtained restricted chips, the report said, citing industry experts. The U.S. Commerce Department is discussing adding more export controls on advanced AI products to countries such as Thailand as soon as September, the report said. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
