Goyal urges Indian Missions to resolve trade barriers faced by exporters

New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has urged Indian Missions abroad to help address trade barriers faced by local exporters in their respective countries.

While addressing Heads of the Commercial Wings posted in 74 Indian Missions abroad across 61 countries on July 16, the minister called for trade intelligence gathering, including updates on market trends, sectoral developments, and regulatory frameworks to boost India’s exports.

During the meeting, key Indian Missions made detailed presentations on trade promotion activities, challenges in market access, and sectoral insights.

The Missions are the first point of contact for India’s commercial and economic diplomacy. They play a key role in promoting Indian exports.

In his address, the Minister emphasised the need for “strategic interventions to address Market Access Barriers, including Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT),” the commerce ministry said in a statement.

He also called for sharing of innovative strategies and best practices that yielded good results in trade promotion and attracting investment into India, and regular dissemination of trade advisories to identify demand-supply gaps and opportunities for Indian exporters.

Besides, Goyal emphasised enhanced alignment between Missions and the Department of Commerce through data-driven planning.

“The Minister called for greater synergy among Missions, Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), and Indian industry stakeholders to achieve the nation’s ambition of becoming a global export powerhouse,” it said.

India’s exports remained flat at $35.14 billion in June due to global economic uncertainties, while the trade deficit narrowed to a four-month low of $18.78 billion during the month.

During April-June 2025-26, exports increased 1.92 per cent to $112.17 billion, while imports rose 4.24 per cent to $179.44 billion.