India is actively enhancing its strategic maritime partnerships and international trade linkages while navigating severe global shipping disruptions. Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), undertook a four-day official visit to Mauritius to strengthen bilateral maritime security, joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, and defense capacity building under the ‘MAHASAGAR’ framework. Meanwhile, global shipping continues to face acute challenges as Red Sea security issues force vessels to bypass the Suez Canal for longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, creating severe port congestion, heightened insurance premiums, and container availability shortages that impact Asian merchandise exporters. To safeguard trade competitiveness, India is urging domestic exporters to address inland shipping bottlenecks and streamline logistics paperwork while finalizing a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU, comprising South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini). The proposed trade agreement aims to lower tariffs on key export sectors, offering significant duty relief for Indian automobile exports, which reached $1.7 billion in FY26, alongside pharmaceuticals, machinery, and textiles.