AnyTime News 
Pooja Shrivastava, Any Time News Network
In a decisive push toward establishing a more balanced and modern trade architecture, India hosted the 13th ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee meeting from July 6 to 10, 2026, at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. Conducted in a hybrid format, this high-level institutional dialogue served as a vital mechanism to review the ongoing negotiations and fast-track the comprehensive upgrading of the bilateral trade framework between India and the ASEAN bloc.
Three Sub-Committees Convene Simultaneously to Expedite Strategic Trade Guidelines
To ensure structured and swift progress, three critical sub-committees—focusing on ‘Customs Procedures & Trade Facilitation’, ‘National Treatment & Market Access’, and ‘Rules of Origin’—convened parallel sessions during the Joint Committee meet. The Joint Committee provided definitive strategic guidance to these expert bodies, explicitly directing them to accelerate the finalization of pending negotiation chapters. Time-bound mandates were issued to maintain institutional momentum and achieve concrete economic outcomes within the agreed timeline.
Bilateral Commerce Reaches $128 Billion: ASEAN Retains 11% Share of India’s Global Trade
The pivotal Joint Committee session on July 7, 2026, was co-chaired by Mr. Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, India, and Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary-General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia. Delegations from all ten ASEAN member states participated proactively. Highlighting the macro-economic significance of this alliance, bilateral trade scaled an impressive $128 billion during the 2025-26 fiscal year, consolidating ASEAN’s share at approximately 11% of India’s overall global trade portfolio.
