Earlier this week, a high-level delegation from the Indian government textile sector held talks to investigate possible partnerships with Cotton Australia, ACSA, and Aus trade. The goal of the discussions was to find areas of shared interest and promote collaboration between the two countries.

According to a press release from Cotton Australia, the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) has been activated, allowing 50,000 tonnes of Australian cotton to enter India duty-free. This is a significant decrease from the customary 11% tariff.

In order to provide Australian cotton more access, Cotton Australia is aggressively pushing for an increase in this tariff-free quota and collaborating with authorities like Mr. Kansal, the additional secretary from India textile ministry. This action is meant to help Australian companies that want to use Australian cotton for manufacturing in India.

The delegation expressed a strong desire to learn about Australia sustainability credentials throughout the talks, especially as they related to myBMP, traceability, and current initiatives for textile circularity.

In an effort to promote communication and cooperation, Cotton Australia recently provided funding for an Australian High Commission (Agriculture)-organized webinar for Indian cotton growers, which was hosted by the All India Cotton Farmer Producer Organization Association.