EFTA eyes reduction in trade barriers

New Delhi: Four-nation bloc EFTA is looking at significant reduction in trade barriers on sectors such as machine tools, advanced chemicals, pharma, chocolates, Norwegian and Icelandic fish in the proposed free trade agreement with India, a Swiss minister said. Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Helene Budliger Artieda also said that with India, the EFTA grouping is aiming for an ambitious and comprehensive agreement in trade in goods, services and protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs). India and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland - are negotiating a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with a view to boosting economic ties between the two regions. Negotiations on the agreement were officially launched in January 2008.