India, EU exploring possibility to negotiate FTA in phases

09 Apr 2025 Evaluate

India and the European Union (EU) are exploring the option of negotiating their free trade agreement (FTA) in phases amidst an uncertain global trade environment following imposition of sweeping tariffs by the US. India has followed the practice of negotiating such trade pacts in two phases with Australia. Negotiating the FTA in two phases allows both sides to first conclude areas where agreement can be reached more easily. Complex issues can be dealt with at a later stage. FTA in tranches are being explored with the EU. 

The two sides concluded the 10th round of negotiations in Brussels last month for the proposed agreement. The next round of talks is expected in May 2025. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed the negotiations after a gap of over eight years. It stalled in 2013 due to differences over the level of opening up of the markets. On February 28, 2025 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the European Commission President agreed to seal a much-awaited free trade deal by this year. 

The India-EU trade pact negotiations cover 23 policy areas or chapters including Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Investment, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Trade Remedies, Rules of Origin, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Competition, Trade Defence, Government Procurement, Dispute Settlement, Intellectual Property Rights, Geographical Indications, and Sustainable Development. Besides demanding significant duty cuts in automobiles and medical devices, the EU wants tax reduction in wines, spirits and a strong intellectual property regime.

Indian goods' exports to the EU, such as ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, steel, petroleum products, and electrical machinery, can become more competitive, if the pact gets concluded successfully. India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $137.41 billion in 2023-24 (exports $75.92 billion, imports $61.48 billion), making it the largest trading partner of India for goods. The EU market accounts for about 17 per cent of India's total exports, while the EU's exports to India make up 9 per cent of its total exports. In addition, the bilateral trade in services, in 2023, between India and the EU was estimated at $51.45 billion. 


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