Trade Deal

'Sensitive' agri issues may be off the table

President of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be on a state visit to India from January 25 to 27

India and the US have resumed virtual talks on a bilateral trade deal after the holiday break, with both sides signalling commitment but no timeline yet for in-person negotiations

The government on Tuesday dismissed claims by some Pakistani social media accounts that India has suspended trade operations with Afghanistan due to unrest in Iran, saying the reports were completely false. It said that a fabricated letter is being circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts on the matter. Iran is witnessing widespread nationwide protests. "A fabricated letter is being circulated by #Pakistani propaganda accounts, falsely claiming that India has temporarily suspended trade operations with #Afghanistan due to escalating unrest in #Iran," PIB Fact Check said in a social media post. In 2024-25, India's exports to Afghanistan stood at USD 318.91 million, while imports were aggregated at USD 689.81 million.

Says both nations remain 'actively' engaged, next call scheduled on Jan 13

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also added that the US had expected the trade deal with India to be closed before others

As the US disrupts global trade and India pushes major trade deals, 2026 will test whether reforms, new economic measures and shifting geopolitics can sustain India's growth momentum

In 2025, multilateral trade rules weakened as the US raised tariffs, yet global trade stayed resilient, led by strong supply chains, China's leverage and India's adaptive policy response

Real GDP growth surprised on the upside in 2025, but weaker nominal growth, trade uncertainty, and soft demand signal a bumpier road ahead

Talks are going on for the last nine months, with no outcome, despite over a half dozen rounds of in-person formal and informal negotiations

The deal includes sweeping tariff cuts, expanded services access, enhanced labour mobility and a long-term investment commitment

Government officials said that India and the EU are continuing to engage with each other to narrow the differences and close the free trade agreement (FTA) talks at the earliest

Under the trade deal, Oman has offered India zero-duty market access on 98 per cent of its tariff lines, covering over 99 per cent of India's exports to Oman

Today's pieces look at why a US trade deal is critical, issues in the higher education reform, the need for more services exports besides PMC, why India must develop design skills, and Malala's memoir

The rupee is currently the worst-performing Asian currency, with 5.95 per cent depreciation witnessed in 2025 so far

Mexico's decision to levy tariffs of 5-50% on over 1,400 products from India and other Asian nations has alarmed exporters already hit by US duties, with engineering goods and automobiles

India nears a framework trade deal with the US but insists both reciprocal and Russian-oil-linked tariffs must be resolved together, even as parallel talks with the EU and Canada gather pace

The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on imports from India starting in late August even as negotiations between the two countries continued

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Monday that Canada and India will move quickly to advance a trade deal after two years of strained relations, noting Ottawa has a new foreign policy in response to US President Donald Trump's trade war. Anand's statement follows a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa this past weekend, where the leaders agreed to restart stalled talks for a new trade deal. Relations between Canada and India have been strained since Canadian police accused New Delhi of playing a role in the June 2023 assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist near Vancouver. "The leaders were adamant that this work proceed as quickly as possible so that timing is going to be expeditious," Anand said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Carney will visit India early next year. Anand noted Carney's goal to double non-US trade over the next decade. Canada is one of t

The RBI Governor says rupee's fall is due to dollar demand, not policy moves, assures strong forex buffers and highlights improving strength of Indian banks