Free Trade Agreement

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said nine recently signed free trade agreements are expected to become operational within 10 months, with several more trade pacts in the pipeline

After the trade deal, India's exports to the UAE have risen by $13 billion over the past four years, while imports have increased by $24 billion

India should reassess the effectiveness of its existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), modernise its investment screening architecture, and adopt a more coordinated trade and industrial policy framework as geopolitical fragmentation reshapes global commerce, a report said on Thursday. The report said that India's economic strategy must move beyond reactive policymaking and focus on proactive integration through calibrated partnerships, stronger institutional coordination and clearer market access objectives. Among its key recommendations, the report calls on India to audit existing FTAs, assess whether they have met intended objectives, and align future trade agreements more closely with industrial and export priorities. It also recommended that India explore high-quality market arrangements and utilise multilateral institutions and bilateral investment treaties to secure greater predictability for businesses and investors. The report titled 'Resilience in a Fragmenting World: India

But Markose is also revving up in the premium and luxury segment now

House of Lords member Sonny Leong says the UK remains committed to the India FTA and that steel imports are currently well below proposed quota thresholds

Canadian and Indian officials have expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement during a business summit in Regina, amid renewed engagement between the two countries after trade talks stalled in 2023, according to media reports. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Canada's High Commissioner to India Chris Cooter and India's High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik, on Friday, participated in the Western Canada-India Leaders Summit in Regina, capital city of the Saskatchewan province, where they discussed bilateral ties and negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and spoke with delegations. According to Canadian broadcaster CBC News, Cooter said negotiations on the agreement were continuing and expressed confidence that a deal could be reached later this year. "The free trade agreement will happen. I have no doubt." CBC also reported that Patnaik said negotiations were ongoing. Moe described the relationship

India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are discussing a "limited and temporary" trade arrangement covering selected groups of goods as part of negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement, Russia's Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov has said, according to a media report. Describing the negotiations as "complex", Reshetnikov said on Friday that the Indian side's requests were "quite ambitious". "Things are more complicated with India: the economy is larger, mutual interests are more complex, so to speak. And, frankly, our colleagues' requests are also quite ambitious," he said in an interview with the Vesti programme, according to the state-run TASS news agency. "Therefore, we are currently discussing a limited and temporary free trade zone, that is, for a list of goods defined by product groups," he added. Reshetnikov's remarks came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said negotiations on trade liberalisation between India and the EAEU had gained ...

India and Canada have decided to focus on low-hanging fruit, work on areas of convergence and avoid seeking concessions in sensitive sectors in the negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said. The two countries are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The third round of negotiations is underway in Ottawa. The minister was in Canada for a three-day official visit. "I remember when I was talking to Mr Maninder Sidhu (Canada's trade minister) about speeding up CEPA negotiations, one of the first elementary decisions we both took was that 'we won't make perfect the enemy of the good'. "Let's capture the low-hanging fruit. Let's look at areas of convergence. Let's leave the sensitive things out of the agreement. If something is sensitive for Canada, no sense in trying to egg on and trying to get that into the CEPA. Likewise, if something is sensitive for India or the Indian public or Indian ...

India and South Korea have expanded CEPA upgrade talks by forming new groups on digital trade, supply chains and strategic industries to address trade imbalances and deepen economic ties

Carney, after a meeting with Goyal, called the Cepa between the two nations a "game changer".

High tariffs and complex compliance requirements continue to deter free-trade agreement utilisation

The commerce ministry is preparing granular plans to boost the utilisation of free trade agreements (FTAs) by Indian industry, including sending 500 delegations abroad, training 1,000 people, and engaging with 1,600 industry chambers, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. The commerce and industry minister asked the Indian industry to increase utilisation of these pacts as it will help boost exports and attract investments at a time when the global economy is facing challenges. "We are making very granular plans on how we can leverage all these FTAs and convert the global crisis into a golden opportunity," he said at the CII annual business summit here. Since 2021, India has finalised trade deals with Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, Oman, New Zealand, EFTA bloc, UK and the EU. Goyal said that countries such as Switzerland, the United States and nations in the European Union have much higher per capita incomes and cannot manufacture products at a cost lower than India. The ..

The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Oman is expected to come into force from June 1, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. The pact was signed in December 2025. "I have had a good meeting with Oman team today and most probably the Oman free trade agreement will come into effect from June 1, 2026," he told reporters here. The Oman team is here to discuss ways to boost trade and investments. The agreement will provide duty-free access to 98 per cent of India's exports, including textiles, agri, and leather goods in Oman. On the other hand, India will reduce tariffs on Omanese products such as dates, marbles and petrochemical items. When asked about his meeting with the Chilean foreign minister here, Goyal said there are challenges given the different size of the economies and different scale of opportunities that both countries offer to each other. "We are trying to bridge that gap through innovative solutions. "If we get a good deal around crit

Peru, the world's third-largest producer of copper, is also negotiating a chapter on critical minerals with India, Paulinich said

India and the UK on Friday discussed ways to boost two-way commerce and investments and leverage opportunities under the comprehensive economic and trade agreement signed in July last year. It was discussed during a virtual meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle. "We explored ways to further enhance our trade and investment ties while fully leveraging the opportunities under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)," Goyal said in a social media post. India and the UK, on July 24, 2025, signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), under which 99 per cent of Indian exports will enter the British market at zero duty, while tariffs on British products, such as cars and whisky, will be reduced in India. CETA aims to double the USD 56 billion trade between the two economies by 2030.

The reduction in tariffs is expected to significantly level the playing field for Kiwi exporters on the global stage

It is important now to reconsider whether it makes sense to officially apply for candidacy to CPTPP, a gold-standard trade deal that would significantly increase comfort levels for investors, traders

Mobility provisions in India's trade deals are opening new visa pathways for skilled workers, as countries across Europe, Asia and Oceania seek Indian talent to address labour shortages

India gains 100% duty-free mkt access, $20 bn FDI commitments in 15 years

Industry stakeholders believe the move could provide a meaningful boost to India's auto exports, particularly at a time when companies are looking to diversify markets and scale global operations