India and the European Union intensify talks to conclude a free trade agreement

The Hindu
The Hindu
53m ago
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Brussels on January 8-9, 2026 to hold high-level talks aimed at resolving pending issues and expediting the conclusion of India-EU free trade agreement negotiations.
India and the European Union intensify talks to conclude a free trade agreement
A What happened
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Brussels for a two-day trip on January 8-9, 2026 to meet his European counterpart and address final pending issues in India-EU free trade agreement negotiations. Goyal is set to hold high-level dialogues with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič to provide strategic guidance to negotiating teams, narrow divergences, and clarify outstanding matters. High-level discussions are underway on January 6-7, 2026 between India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and the European Commission’s Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand. India is pushing for zero-duty access for labour-intensive sectors including textiles, leather, apparel, gems and jewellery, and handicrafts.
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Key insights

  • 1

    India seeks zero-duty access for labour-intensive exports: The Ministry release says India is pushing for zero-duty access for textiles, leather, apparel, gems and jewellery, and handicrafts.

  • 2

    Both sides signal political resolve for a comprehensive deal: The Ministry release says India and the EU have expressed strong political resolve to deliver a comprehensive deal.

Takeaways

India and the European Union are conducting ministerial and senior-official engagements in early January 2026 to resolve outstanding issues and move toward concluding the India-EU free trade agreement.

Topics

World & Politics International Affairs Diplomacy Trade & Tariffs

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