The Indian team is scheduled to be in Brussels in the coming days, headed by the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, to hold another round of negotiations on the proposed trade pact with EU as the deadline to sign a deal draws near.
Goyal will be in Brussels on October 27-October 28, confirmed the ministry, adding that the minister will Executive Vice-President and European Commissioner for Trade of the European Union, Maros Sefcovic, during his visit.
The upcoming visit is being seen as pertinent to the proposed India-EU free trade agreement, which is now in the final stages of negotiations before it concludes by year-end.
“The visit comes at a crucial stage in the ongoing India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, as both sides intensify efforts to conclude a comprehensive, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade agreement at the earliest,” the ministry’s statement said.
The minister’s visit aims to provide strategic direction and “political impetus” to the talks, it added.
Discussions between the two sides are expected to cover key areas of the proposed FTA, including market access, non-tariff measures, and regulatory cooperation.
“The visit will also serve to review progress achieved so far and to identify areas requiring further convergence,” the ministry said.
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Goyal’s visit follows the conclusion of the 14th round of talks between India and the EU bloc from October 6-10.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has also held talks with European Commission (EC) Director General for Trade (DG-Trade), Sabine Weyand, in Brussels.
In June 2022, India and the EU bloc resumed negotiations for a comprehensive FTA, an investment protection agreement, and a pact on geographical indications after a gap of over eight years since the talks stalled in 2013 on differences on the level of opening up markets.
India’s bilateral trade in goods with the EU was USD 136.53 billion in 2024-25 (exports worth USD 75.85 billion and imports worth USD 60.68 billion), making it the largest trading partner for goods.
The EU market accounts for about 17 per cent of India’s total exports, and Indian goods’ exports to the EU, such as readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, steel, petroleum products, and electrical machinery, can become more competitive if the pact sails through.
The EU’s exports to India constitute 9 per cent of its total overseas shipments. Besides demanding significant duty cuts in automobiles and medical devices, the EU wants tax reduction in other products like wine, spirits, meat, poultry, and a strong intellectual property regime.
The India-EU trade pact negotiations cover 23 policy areas or chapters, including trade in goods, services, investment, trade remedies, rules of origin, customs and trade facilitation, competition, government procurement, dispute settlement, intellectual property rights, geographical indications, and sustainable development.
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