One Year after Due Date, Nirmala says Foreign Trade Policy 2014-19 will be Announced “Soon”

The government will soon unveil the much-delayed Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) which is expected to roll out steps to boost exports.

“Yes, I am conscious that the FTP (2014-19) was due even as of April 1, last year. Hopefully, we will come out (with FTP) soon,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters here.

The minister said that the delay in announcement of FTP is not the reason for declining exports.

“I differ from this view. Even when the FTP was explicit and was there in place between 2009 and 2014 exports suffered,” she said.

However, Sitharaman added that a policy in place helps in giving direction.

“A policy in place does help because you are able to identify sectors,” she added.

Talking about the delay in unveiling of the policy, she said that the new five year FTP requires comprehensive deliberations on various sectors and exporting destinations.

“The new policy needs to be out of the box and it has to support India’s exports in terms of looking at sectors and their capability and new and traditional markets of the world...

...so a comprehensive exercise of how to help exports, how better focus on areas which have great potential for India’s exports have to be worked out in great details, she said.

The ministry has done an extensive job on it, she said.