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Informist, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – A team from the European Union will visit India next week as it looks to conclude discussions on the proposed free trade agreement between the two sides, the commerce ministry said in a release Wednesday. "To advance the ongoing discussions, the EU technical team led by Director General for Trade will visit India next week with the objective of achieving a constructive conclusion based on the potential solutions identified over the past two days," the ministry said.

 

Earlier this week, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in Brussels, where the two discussed outstanding issues in the ongoing India-EU free trade agreement negotiations. The two sides reaffirmed the goal to conclude trade pact negotiations by end of this year.

 

"There was intensive engagement to explore possible landing zones on the outstanding issues. There was also a good discussion on India's concerns on non-tariff measures and the new EU regulations," the release said. According to the ministry, Goyal emphasised the need for preferential treatment for India's key demands in the trade pact discussions, particularly those with respect to labour-intensive sectors.

 

Both sides agreed to work closely on finalising the non-sensitive industrial tariff lines. They also agreed that issues related to steel, auto, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and other EU regulations still require further discussion, as these issues have higher sensitivities, the release said. 

 

"India recognises the importance of ensuring that the FTA remains balanced in addressing both tariff and non-tariff barriers and creating transparent and predictable regulatory frameworks that accelerate trade for both partners in the coming years," the ministry said. "India looks forward to working closely with the European Union to transform this vision into reality through shared innovation, balanced, equitable, and meaningful trade, and a collective commitment to peace and prosperity."

 

The EU accounts for over 15% of India's total exports. India had exported $78.85 billion worth of goods to the EU in 2024-25 (Apr-Mar) and had a trade surplus of $15.17 billion with the bloc.  End

 

Reported by Shubham Rana

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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