Emerging powerhouses India, Brazil and South Africa have set their trade target at $15-billion by 2010, up from around $10-billion a year ago, India's foreign minister said on Monday.

Pranab Mukherjee also said trade between the three southern hemisphere economies was on the upswing "in all three directions." "We have now established a target of $15-billion in trade between the three countries by 2010," Mukherjee told a conference of editors from India, Brazil and South Africa.

"The three countries have taken rapid strides in forging trilateral linkages in a number of key areas including health, agriculture, education, transport, energy, science and technology and IT," he said.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry says trilateral trade has grown by up to 50 percent each year in the last five years and touched $10-billion in 2007.

Sapa