Daily News - Monday, 18 August 2025

⁠Focus on 30 export markets to intensify amid impending slump in shipments to US (Financial Express)

⁠India has expanded its list of focus markets from 20 to 50 countries, now covering 90% of total exports, with fresh emphasis on newer destinations like Thailand, Kenya, Spain, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Belgium, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka; officials say these markets already account for a significant share of exports and hold ample room for diversification of products, as shown by APEDA facilitating 15 new products into 28 markets in just four months. This strategic shift comes at a time when India is bracing for slower shipments to the US due to steep tariffs, despite July exports there rising 20% as exporters rushed ahead of the 25% duty, and the government is therefore intensifying promotion activities through embassies, trade missions, and a stronger push into Africa, Asia, and Europe alongside traditional big markets like the US, UAE, China, and the UK. To back this, New Delhi is pushing hard on free trade agreements—especially with the UK and the European Free Trade Association (effective October 1)—while also preparing an Export Promotion Mission (2025–2031) that will address export credit, insurance, logistics, branding, quality compliance, and digital trade facilitation, all aimed at embedding more Indian firms into global value chains. 

⁠Trump hints US could hold back secondary tariffs on India over Russian oil (Business Standard)

President Trump has signalled that the US may hold off on imposing additional secondary tariffs on countries still importing Russian oil, a stance that offers temporary relief for India, which already faces a punishing 50% tariff burden after Washington first slapped a 25% duty on its exports and then added another 25% tied to Russian oil purchases. New Delhi has sharply condemned the hikes as “unfair and unreasonable,” stressing that its energy needs are tied to national security and pointing out the hypocrisy of European nations buying far more Russian crude, even as the latest executive order extended new duties of 10–40% to nearly 70 countries including Japan, the UK, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The backdrop is Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska, which ended without a breakthrough on the Ukraine war, keeping alive the threat that Washington could escalate secondary sanctions on India if diplomacy stalls, leaving Indian exporters bracing for further shocks despite hopes that tariffs might not rise any higher. 

⁠China hoarding its tech riches fiercely (The Economic Times)

As Prime Minister Modi heads to China for his first visit in seven years, hopes of warmer ties are tempered by Beijing’s growing reluctance to clear technology transfer deals, with Haier’s proposed 48-50% stake sale to Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Group and PG Electroplast’s compressor joint venture with China’s Highly Group both delayed for months under government scrutiny. Chinese authorities, wary of letting core EV and electronics know-how seep abroad, have reportedly issued “verbal” orders to tighten vetting of such deals, slowing down investment and expansion plans of Indian players like Sona Comstar, Dixon, Lumax and others who rely heavily on Chinese partnerships for advanced technology. Industry executives say Beijing is using this leverage much like it does with rare earth exports—retaining control to negotiate from a position of strength—while Indian firms, still bound by their own PN3 restrictions on Chinese investment, now face fresh uncertainty even as both countries prepare to discuss a broader trade package covering rare earth magnets, fertilisers and pharmaceuticals. 

Papum Pare to Singrauli: India maps fresh hotspots for rare earth metals amid China concerns (The Economic Times)

India has stumbled upon promising rare earth reserves in places like Arunachal’s Papum Pare, Assam, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh, adding to its 8.5 million tonnes of reserves, but the reality is sobering: China still mines 70% of global REEs and controls 90% of refining, while India’s share in production remains below 1%, leaving its auto and EV sectors dangerously exposed to Chinese export curbs that already shook companies like Bajaj Auto, Ather and TVS. Automakers such as Maruti and Mahindra are surviving on stockpiles and alternative sourcing for now, but supply chain cracks are visible, and workarounds like importing finished motors from China only underline the strategic weakness; experts stress that India must quickly scale up domestic mining, incentivise refining, and deepen trade diplomacy with mineral-rich partners like Chile, Peru, Australia and Argentina. The government is nudging IREL, Vedanta and Hindustan Zinc to build a local value chain, exploring customs duty cuts, and even backing R&D for indigenous substitutes, but while diplomacy may soften near-term shocks, the long game will rest on science, technology and a policy shift that treats critical minerals not as bulk commodities but as strategic assets central to India’s EV, defence and clean-tech future.