   
  
WT/COMTD/RTA19/M/1  
 
15 May 2023 
(23-3397) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Nine teenth  Dedicated Session on Regional Trade  
Agreements    
 
COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CECPA) 
BETWEEN INDIA AND MAURITIUS (GOODS)   
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 5 APRIL  2023 
Chairperson: H.E. Ms. Usha Chandnee Dwarka -Canabady (Mauritius)  
1.  The 1 9th Dedicated Session on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) of the Committee on Trade  and 
Development (CTD) was convened in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/RTA/14/Rev.1 of 24 March 2023 . 
Under item  D (II) of the agenda, the Committee considered the Comprehensive Economi c 
Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius (Goods) 
(WT/COMTD/RTA19/N/1, WT/COMTD/RTA19/1, WT/COMTD/RTA19/2).  The present document 
contains the minutes relating to the consideration of th is agreement.1  
2.  The Chairperson  said that the goods aspects of the India-Mauritius CECPA  were notified under 
paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause by India and Mauritius on 15 April 2021. The notification was 
circulated on 15 April 2021 in document WT/COMTD/RTA19/N/1. The services  aspects of the 
agreement were notified under Article V:7(a) of the GATS on 15 April 2021 in document S/C/N/1053. 
The Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  (CRTA)  undertook its consideration of the services 
aspects of the agreement at its meeting of 27 Ma rch 2023. The factual presentation on this 
agreement – circulated on 16 January 2023  with the CTD document  symbol  WT/COMTD/RTA19/1 – 
was prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility, and in full consultation with the parties. 
Written questions rec eived from delegations on the agreement, as well the written replies from the 
parties, were circulated with the CTD document symbol WT/COMTD/RTA19/2.  
3.  The representative of Mauritius  delivered the following statement:  
4.  Let me start by thanking Members for their interest and their questions on the factual 
presentation relating to  the Mauritius -India CECPA. I also take this opportunity to express our 
gratitude to the Secretariat 's team for their efforts in preparing the factual presentation. The CECPA 
was signed on 22 February 2021 and entered into force on 1 April 2021. Mauritius and India enjoy 
excellent bilateral relations, and cooperation between the two countries covers a wide range of areas. 
India is an important devel opment partner of Mauritius a nd is among our largest trading partners. 
For instance, in 2021, India was our third largest source of imports and seventh largest export 
destination. The signature of the CECPA is a pivotal milestone in the longstanding relati onship 
between our two countries, and it is the first trade agreement that India has signed with a country 
in Africa. The agreement contains a comprehensive chapter on trade in goods – including a 
preferential trade agreement text and  the tariff eliminatio n schedule d by both countries  – as well as 
customs cooperation, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical 
barriers to trade (TBT) . With the implementation of the CECPA, Mauritian and Indian businesses 
have market access at concessional customs duties for exports and imports. Mauritius exporters 
benefit from preferential market access on a list of 615 products . Mauritius has, on its part, provided 
preferential access to the Indian side for 310 products. The CECPA  has a chapter on trade in services 
which  was considered at the CRTA meeting last week. The CECPA also contains a chapter on 
economic cooperation that covers some 25 areas that further consolidates cooperation in key 
sectors , such as the ocean economy, inform ation and communications technology ( ICT), small and 
medium -sized enterprise ( SME) development, healthcare services and pharmaceuticals. It also 
 
1 The general minutes of the CTD's 1 9th Dedicated Session on RTAs are contained in document 
WT/COMTD/RTA/M/ 19. WT/COMTD/RTA19/M/1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  provides a framework for the development of the India -Mauritius -Africa trilateral cooperation. Before 
concludin g, I wish to thank my colleagues from the delegation of India for their close collaboration 
during the preparation of the factual presentation and the joint replies to the written questions that 
have been circulated by the Secretariat. We look forward to w orking together for the effective 
implementation of the agreement for the benefit of the businesses and peoples of Mauritius and 
India.  
5.  The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
6.  India would like to thank the Secretariat for preparing a  comprehensive factual presentation. 
The Secretariat engaged with us in depth in this exercise. India would also like to thank our Mauritian  
colleague s for the close cooperation through  the entire process. The details of this agreement are 
comprehensively contained in the factual presentation prepared by the Secretariat. This agreement 
came into force on 1 April 202 1 and will be fully implemented by 2035. India and Mauritius enjoy 
excell ent bilateral relations sustained by histori cal cultural affinities ; frequent high -level political 
interactions ; development cooperation ; defence and maritime partnership ; and people -to-people 
linkages. Moreover, Mauritius is a key strategic partner in our  extended neighbourhood and an 
important element of our Africa policy. Since 2005, India has been among the largest trading 
partners of Mauritius and has been one of the largest exporters of goods and services to Mauritius. 
Bilateral trade between India an d Mauritius has registered a growth of 281%  – from USD 207 Million 
in 2005 -2006 to USD 787 million in 2021 -2022. India's exports to Mauritius during 2021 -2022 stood 
at USD 715 million , recording a growth of 69% relative to the 2020-2021 period . India 's imports 
from Mauritius during 2021 -2022 amounted to USD 72 million, which was  a growth of 69% vis -à-vis 
the 2020-2021 period . During 2022 -2023, India 's imports from Mauritius w ere recorded at 
USD 72 million , registering a growth of 20% vis -à-vis the same  period the previous  year. Our 
exports to Mauritius stood at U SD 392 million in 2022 -2023, which was  a decline of more than 38% 
vis-à-vis the same period last year. The principal commodities of export from India to Mauritius 
include petroleum products; drug formulations ; biologicals; cotton yarn; motor vehicle s and cars; 
produc ts of iron and steel; basmati  rice; ready -made garments ( RMG) of cotton including 
accessories; RMG of man-made fibres; man-made yarn , fabrics , made -ups; and e lectric machinery 
and equipment. Major products of imports from Mauritius include iron and steel; medical and 
scientific instrument s; aluminium  and products of aluminium; electronics components; copper and 
product s made of copper; paper , paper board and pr oduct s; railway transport equipment parts ; and 
marine products. India and Mauritius signed the CECPA on 22 February 2021. It is a limited 
agreement covering trade in goods; rules of origin; trade in services ; TBT; SPS measures ; dispute 
settlement ; movement of natural persons ; telecom munications ; financial services ; customs 
procedures ; and cooperation in other areas. 
7.  The India -Mauritius CECPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve 
trade between the two countries. The CECPA co vers 310 export items for India, including food stuff 
and beverages ; agricultural products ; textile s and textile articles ; base metals and articles thereof ; 
electrical and electronic item s; plastics and chemicals ; and wood and articles thereof. Mauritius has 
been offered preferential market access into India for 615 products, including frozen fish ; speciality 
sugar ; biscuits ; fresh fruits ; juices ; mineral water ; beer; alcoholic drinks ; soaps ; bags; medical and 
surgical equipment ; and apparel. The  chapter on general economic cooperation (GEC) and the 
provisions of the automatic trigger safeguard mechanism were included in the CECPA through an 
amendment of the agreement that entered into force on 1 October 2022. The GEC chapter will 
promote all form s of economic cooperation beneficial to the citizens of India and Mauritius in various 
sectors including handicrafts, gems and jewellery, agro -industry and food security.  The parties  are 
currently engaged in discussions to enhanc e market access through an exchange of concessions on 
items of export interest to the two countries. To conclude , India would like to thank Members for 
their interest in this agreement  – and particularly Brazil, the European Union, Japan and 
the United  Kingdom for their questions th at gave us the opportunity to explain the relevant features 
of the agreement . 
8.  The representative of  the United States  delivered the following statement:  
9.  We thank India and Mauritius for this notification and for th e important transparency of this 
exercise. In reviewing the agreement, we note that 95 % of India 's tariff lines are excluded from the 
duty phase -out period under the agreement , as illustrated in table 3.1 of the factual presentation. 
Our question s to the parties are as follows : "What is the economic rationale for the CECPA? Also, 
does India have plans to negotiate more trade agreements with its African partners? If so, would WT/COMTD/RTA19/M/1  
 
- 3 - 
 
  the India -Mauritius CECP A serve as an example, or template, for additional trade agreements on the 
African continent? ". 
10.  The representative of  the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
11.  The European Union thanks the parties for the presentation of their agreement and for the 
replies to our questions, as well as the Secretariat for the factual presentation .  
12.  The representative of India delivered the following statement : 
13.  We than k the United Sta tes and the European Union. As I understand  it, there are two questions  
from the United States. The first question, in reference to table 3.1, is the rationale in terms of trade 
liberalization  in goods . The second question concerns  how we will go  ahead wit h other 
free trade agreements ( FTAs) in Africa . It may be noted that the CECPA is our first agreement with 
a country in Africa. This is based on the relations that India has with Mauritius historically . We will 
be looking in the coming years to FTAs with other African countries, as the African region is growing 
and has a lot of potential . However, as of now, there are no negotiations taking place . In fact, India 
is currently involved in  a number of other negotiations including with the European Union, 
the United  Kingdom and Canada.  When we move ahead with an FTA with a countr y in the 
African  continent, we will be taking cue s from the CECPA and our experience with this agreement. 
Certain elements of this agreement would form part of the template because we f eel that this is a 
progressive FTA . As far as trade liberalization is concerned, the CECPA is quite a comprehensive 
agreement in terms of  services trade. Trade liberalization in goods is smaller, but we are committed 
to have exchanges and cooperation with Mauritius  on how goods trade could be further liberalized. 
I would recall that, a s far as goods are concerned, the CECPA  is an agreement under the 
Enabling  Clause. This gives the parties  some flexibilities as developing countries to start with a 
smaller co verage, which could be expanded  going forward . We would be happy to reply to any other 
further queries that the United States may have on th ese issues. 
14.  The representative of Mauritius  delivered the following statement:  
15.  I thank the United States for the questio ns and India for its reply. We should look at the CECPA  
as a package . It is not only about trade in goods, but also about trade in services and economic 
cooperation. We mentioned earlier  that both parties have agreed to continu e negotiations to extend 
preferential market access on other products o f interest. We would be happy to reply in writing to 
any further written questions . 
16.  The Chairperson  said that oral discussion of the India-Mauritius CECPA could be concluded in 
accordan ce with paragraph 11 of the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs (RTA TM). Follow -up 
questions by Members would need to be submitted in writing to the Secretariat within one week, 
by 12 April 2023. The parties would then be given two weeks to submit written replies, by no later 
than 26 April 2023. In accordance with paragraph 13 of the RTA TM, all written submissions as well 
as the minutes of the present meeting would be circulated pro mptly in all WTO official languages 
and would be made available on the WTO website.  
17.  The Committee took note  of all interventions . 
 
__________  