ISAS Briefs

India has shown flexibility in tariff concession offers at the latest round of talks at the sixteen-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). While this would hasten the RCEP talks, the agreement is unlikely to commit to aggressive liberalisation on trade in services due to a lack of shared interest among the members. India's gains from services can be more through new free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, and the upgrading of existing FTAs with Singapore, Japan, Korea and Malaysia - in all, with select RCEP members.