Page 2 - Free Trade Agreement

India-New Zealand FTA to be signed today: Key gains, sectors, and impact

India and New Zealand on Monday will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost two-way commerce in goods and services and promote investments. The pact will come into force on actually decided date agreed by both sides. Here are a few questions and answers to understand the main strategic gain of this deal: FTA: ----- An economic arrangement between two or more countries where they agree either to end or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them, besides cutting down barriers which can hinder or promote two-way commerce and investments. INDIA-NEW ZEALAND FTA BRIEF: ----------------------------------- Negotiations were first launched in 2010, stalled in 2015 after nine rounds, and were revived in March 2025. March 16, 2025: Negotiations resumed afresh December 22, 2025: Announced conclusion of talks April 27, 2026: FTA set to be signed The agreement covers 20 chapters, including trade in goods, rules of origin, services, customs

India, US agree to remain engaged on trade pact: Commerce ministry

The government on Friday said the three-day trade talks between Indian and US officials concluded on April 23, with both sides agreeing to stay engaged to sustain the momentum ahead. Both sides discussed several areas, such as market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment and digital trade, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement. "The meetings were conducted in a constructive and positive spirit, with meaningful and forward-looking discussions enabling progress on key matters. Both sides agreed to remain engaged to maintain this momentum as they move forward," it said. India and the US issued a joint statement on February 7 finalising a framework for an interim trade agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The framework reaffirmed the countries' commitment to the broader India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations. The Indian side has visit

India, South Korea to conclude FTA renegotiation by mid-2027: Goyal

India and South Korea aim to conclude FTA renegotiation by mid-2027, focusing on fair trade, localisation, and reducing barriers amid concerns over trade imbalance

Datanomics: India eyes South Korea agreement review as deficit widens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung exchanged several MoUs, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors, including shipbuilding

Focus on boosting shipbuilding ties: India, S Korea set $50 bn trade target

New Delhi and Seoul agree to deepen strategic cooperation, upgrade CEPA, and boost trade to $50 billion by 2030 amid global uncertainties

India, New Zealand to sign FTA on April 27, aim for $20 bn investments

India and New Zealand will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) on April 27 here, an official said on Thursday. The free trade pact aims to provide tariff-free access to the island nation's market for domestic exporters' goods and will bring in USD 20 billion in investment over the next 15 years. The two countries on December 22 last year announced the conclusion of negotiations for the trade deal which aims at doubling bilateral trade to USD 5 billion in the next five years. The official said that the pact will be signed on April 27 in Bharat Mandapam after a meeting of the India-New Zealand Business Forum. While India will get zero-duty market access on 100 per cent of its exports, the agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand's exports to India, including items ranging from wool, coal, wood, wine, to avocados and blueberries. However, New Delhi has made no duty concessions on imports of dairy products like milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, and cheese; onio

India, New Zealand likely to sign FTA on April 24, says official

India and New Zealand are expected to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on April 24 here, which will provide tariff-free access to domestic exporters for their goods in the island nation's market, and will bring in USD 20 billion of investment over the next 15 years, an official said. The two countries on December 22 last year announced the conclusion of negotiations for the trade deal which aims at doubling bilateral trade to USD 5 billion in the next five years. The official said that the pact is likely to be signed on April 24 in Bharat Mandapam. While India will get zero-duty market access on 100 per cent of its exports, the agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand's exports to India, including items ranging from wool, coal, wood, wine, to avocados and blueberries. However, New Delhi has made no duty concessions on allowing imports of dairy like milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, and cheese; onions, sugar, spices, edible oils and rubber to protect farme

Australia, EU sign free trade pact after eight years of negotiations

The deal follows intensified talks amid sharply higher US tariffs under the Trump administration and growing Western concerns over China's dominant position in rare earths and other critical minerals

India-UK FTA likely to be implemented by early May; EU by year-end

The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK, signed in July last year, is likely to be implemented by early May, as both sides are "sorting out a few issues", officials said on Thursday. According to officials, the EU has indicated November as the timeline for the ratification of the trade pact with India, and its implementation is expected this year. However, they indicated that trade pact talks with Israel and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, have slowed amid the ongoing conflict in the region. On the US-India trade pact, officials said the process of the trade agreement "stands"; however, "any trade agreement is based on preferential market access versus competitors. If we get that, then the trade deal stands". On January 27 this year, India and the EU announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement, described as 'mother of all deals', under which 93 per cent of Ind

India must rethink its trade stance as WTO struggles for relevance

WTO meet in Cameroon tests global trade unity as India pushes reform with pragmatism amid rising geopolitical tensions and shifting economic priorities

The promises, pitfalls of agreements with India's largest trading partners

India's trade deals with the US and Europe promise market access and investment flows, but industry readiness and new regulatory barriers may shape their real impact

India, Canada sign uranium deal, vow to finalise economic partnership soon

India and Canada on Monday inked a landmark agreement on cooperation in supplies of uranium, and decided to soon finalise a comprehensive economic partnership agreement following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. The two leaders also deliberated on the precarious security situation in West Asia, with Prime Minister Modi asserting that India supports resolution of all conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. "The current situation in West Asia is a matter of grave concern for us. India supports the resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy," the prime minister said in his media statement. "We will continue to work with all countries to ensure the safety of all Indian citizens present in this region," he said. Following the Modi-Carney talks, the two sides inked several agreements, including one for cooperation in the critical minerals sector. "In the civil nuclear energy sector, we have struck a landmark deal for .

From defence to tech collaboration: 16 pacts reshape India-Israel ties

India and Israel sign 16 pacts across AI, defence and mobility, agree on deeper tech ties and allow 50,000 more Indian workers in Israel over five years

India, US postpone trade deal talks after Donald Trump tariff verdict

Move comes as Washington trying to figure out legalities

FTAs to play significant role in coming years by improving mkt access: RBI

The completion of the India-EU free trade negotiations and the interim trade pact between India and the US are likely to play a significant role in the coming years by improving market access and enhancing export competitiveness, the RBI's bulletin issued on Friday said. An article on the 'State of the Economy' published in the February bulletin also said that the near-term economic outlook for the economy remains favourable and is well-positioned to sustain its high growth momentum, driven by consumption, investment, and productivity-enhancing reforms. The completion of the India-EU free trade negotiations by the end of January and the subsequent interim trade agreement between India and the US are likely to play a significant role in the coming years by improving market access, enhancing export competitiveness, and integrating Indian firms more deeply into global value chains, it said. "In the immediate term, it has led to a change in investor sentiments. Foreign portfolio ...

India, UK push to operationalise FTA by April, says Commerce Secy

India and the UK are making a "genuine" effort to see if the bilateral free trade agreement can be operationalised in April this year, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday. 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. The pact needs approval from the UK parliament before it is implemented. In India, the Union Cabinet approves such agreements. After it gets approved by the British parliament, it will be implemented on a mutually agreed date. "I think both sides are working to operationalize it as fast as possible. As some stories have come in the news that it may get operationalized in April, we are making an effort towards that. But I don't know whether that is the date or it will happen beyond that. But we are trying. Our genuine effort on both sides

India Inc's bold investment push crucial for Viksit Bharat: PM Modi

These FTAs are tools to ensure that our youth are not just suppliers to the domestic market but active participants in global trade and growth, says PM Modi

India-UK free trade pact likely to be implemented in April: Report

The India-UK free trade agreement, signed in July last year, is likely to be implemented in April 2026, according to an official. 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. "We are expecting the pact to be implemented from April this year," the government official said. The two countries have also signed the Double Contributions Convention (DCC) pact to ensure temporary workers would not have to duplicate social levies in either country. The official said that both pacts are likely to be implemented in parallel. The pact needs approval from the UK parliament before it is implemented. In India, the Union cabinet approves such agreements. After it gets approved by the British parliament, it will be implemented on a mutually agreed date. The House of Commons in

Free trade agreement lifts hopes of India-EU organic food traders

Organic food traders from India and the European Union are bullish on the recently announced free trade agreement, saying it will expand market access on both sides and create significant opportunities for the sector. About 2,200 players from the sustainable food sector, including over 100 from India, are exhibiting their products at the four-day BIOFACH 2026, which is the world's leading trade fair for organic food, at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg. The fair comes at an opportune time, with India and the 27-nation European Union announcing the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement on January 27 after nearly two decades of talks. It is likely to be signed and implemented in about a year. According to experts from the organic food sector, the agreement opens up USD 60 billion worth of opportunities for Indian organic product exporters in the EU. The agreement also provides a market of 140 crore consumers to the EU countries. Under the pact, both sides will eliminat

UK touts first mover edge as India FTA debate heats up in Commons

The UK government has highlighted its first mover advantage by signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with a rapidly growing Indian economy ahead of the European Union (EU), which it claimed had used Britain's deal as a "baseline". During a House of Commons debate on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) earlier this week, the Opposition Conservatives insisted the deal with "one of the largest economies on the planet, which is growing approximately five times faster than the European Union" could have been better. "British businesses needed something with a really good kick in it to get this country growing. Instead of a vindaloo of a deal, the Prime Minister came back with a bag of soggy poppadoms," said Andrew Griffith, shadow business and trade secretary. Chris Bryant, minister of state in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), responded on behalf of the Labour government to stress that CETA was a "momentous achievement" which goes "well beyond India'