India-EU FTA

India has received country-specific tariff-rate quota of 1.9 million tonne (MT) annually for steel exports to the European Union, while the government expects exporters to secure another 0.9 MT through residual quotas, taking the total to 2.8 MT, a commerce ministry official said on Thursday. With this, India has secured over 80 per cent of its exports to the European Union (EU). Last fiscal, India exported about 3 MT of steel goods. The Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQs) follow the European Union's Steel Overcapacity Regulation, which came into force on July 1 this year. It is aimed at ensuring protection for the EU's steel industry against the effects of global overcapacity. It sets free-of-duty quotas at 18.3 MT, with a 50 per cent duty for out-of-quota imports and a melt-and-pour regime to enhance transparency. As the regulation is in place from July 1, Indian exporters have already started availing the quota and shipping steel to the 27-nation bloc, the official said, adding that "free .

The agreement provides India with an additional preferential quota of 694,853 tons of steel, on top of an existing 946,616 ton WTO quota

Luxury car makers Merc, BMW say localisation would not be hit by FTA

European carmakers get a first-year quota of 100,000 ICE and hybrid cars, while Indian-origin vehicles priced up to 50,000 euros get access to a 250,000-unit EU quota

"If authorized by the Council, this will be the largest trade agreement ever concluded by both the EU and India," the European Commission said in a statement

Bart De Wever's three-day visit will explore deeper trade and investment ties, defence and maritime cooperation, and opportunities from the India-EU free trade agreement

Finnish companies are looking to expand their India presence from next year, though local manufacturing requirements could pose challenges for some high-end products

Without credible investment protection, the FTA alone is unlikely to attract the manufacturing FDI India needs to create jobs

India and the European Union (EU) have agreed to ink the free trade agreement by the end of this year, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. Addressing the India-Finland Business Round Table in Helsinki, he said the pact will come into force in the first quarter of 2027. "The 27-nation EU-India free trade agreement ...in the course of my meetings in Brussels yesterday, we have agreed to sign before the end of calendar 2026, the final legal document and bring into effect in the first quarter of 2027, sometime in February-March next year," he said. He added that the deal will open a plethora of opportunities for businesses on both sides. On January 27 this year, India and the European Union (EU) announced the conclusion of negotiations for the 'mother of all deals'. Under the pact, 93 per cent of Indian shipments will enjoy duty-free access to the 27-nation bloc, while the import of luxury cars and wines from the EU will become less expensive. The deal, conc

The new India-EU Textile and Apparel Dialogue aims to help industry stakeholders support effective implementation of the proposed free trade agreement and strengthen bilateral trade

The India-EU free trade agreement is likely to take effect in the April-June quarter of 2027 after ratification, according to the European Commission's chief negotiator

Piyush Goyal says the Trade and Technology Council dialogue will complement the recently concluded India-EU free trade agreement, while India aims to conclude the Canada FTA within six months

Strategic partnerships, purpose-driven capitalism, free speech, and the dangers of ideology over science lead today's Opinion page

India must not allow the negotiation process to lose momentum

Today's opinions examine RBI incentives for FCNR deposits, the economic legacy of Brexit, India's trade strategy, institution-building for growth and lessons from successful founders

EU Ambassador Herve Delphin says legal vetting of the India-EU trade pact is nearing completion, with signing expected by year-end and implementation likely in early 2027

BMW India sees rising EV demand and growing sales from smaller cities as it expands its footprint and prepares for opportunities under the India-EU FTA

India and the European Union will sign the ambitious free trade agreement by the end of this year, top EU leader Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday after holding talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the meeting, held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in this French commune, the two sides also resolved to step up security and defence cooperation. Besides Von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission, the meeting was joined by European Council President Antonio Costa. "Since we have concluded the mother of all trade deals, we have been moving fast to deliver on our commitments. We will sign the Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year. And accelerate work on an investment agreement," Von der Leyen said on social media. "We will also step up security & defence cooperation. And join forces for better connectivity by advancing IMEC, the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Corridor," she said. India and the EU announced concluding negotiations for the mega trade deal at their ...

India and Slovakia on Monday elevated their ties to the level of a comprehensive partnership and vowed to boost bilateral trade and defence cooperation following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico. The two leaders also agreed to work towards the "earliest" implementation of the India-European Union free trade agreement that is expected to significantly shore up the bilateral economic engagement. Modi is in Bratislava as part of his week-long visit to Europe. It is the first visit to Slovakia by an Indian prime minister. "We have decided to elevate our relations to the status of a Comprehensive Partnership. This symbolises our shared beliefs, shared priorities, and shared future," he said in his media statement. Modi also conveyed his appreciation to Fico for the cooperation Slovakia extended in finalising the India-EU free trade agreement. "We will work towards its earliest implementation so that industries, startups, and traders of b

Estonia can be the gateway to northern European markets for India once the FTA with the European Union comes into effect, Indian Ambassador Ashish Sinha has said, asserting that the bilateral relationship is on an upswing. In an interview with PTI, Sinha said there is a robust base of existing trade to be used as a "springboard" for further engagement between India and Estonia when the India-EU free trade agreement comes into force. The Indian Ambassador to Estonia asserted that the overall bilateral relationship is going from strength to strength and getting stronger. "Going forward, with the India-EU FTA, there will be far more engagement of the small and medium-sized industries, and the dairy and agriculture products from Estonia will find their market in India. For India, we will have Estonia as a gateway to northern Europe," Sinha told PTI. Noting that Estonia also offers e-residency, Sinha said many of the Indian businessmen and high-value industrialists have taken Estonia's