India and Australia Signed MoU to Enhance Bilateral Cotton Trade.
MOUs and Agreement
In April 2025, the Cotton Association of India (CAI), headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the Australian Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA), based in Queensland, Australia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in areas including cotton production, trade trends, pricing, and market insights. The MoU was signed at the Cricket Club of India Limited (CCI) in Mumbai.
- This agreement aims to boost bilateral cotton trade and improve market access under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), which has been operational since 29 December 2022. The MoU was signed by Atul S. Ganatra, President of CAI, and Cliff White, Chair of ACSA, during the visit of an Australian trade delegation to India led by Jules Willis, CEO of ACSA.
Main Point :- (i) AI-ECTA enables duty-free access for 51,000 tonnes of Australian cotton annually to India, comprising 50,000 tonnes under an allocated quota and 1,000 tonnes under a first-come, first-served basis.
(ii) According to data from Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Australia exported 50,719 tonnes of cotton to India in 2024, compared to 50,690 tonnes in 2023.
(iii) As per the latest ACSA Market Report, India was Australia’s 3rd largest cotton export market, accounting for 12% of exports, following China (28%) and Vietnam (26%).
About Australia
Prime Minister: Anthony Norman Albanese
Capital: Canberra
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