The commerce department stated that India and the Maldives have started negotiations for a free trade agreement. It said the discussions are being held via virtual mode and are expected to conclude on July 7 after beginning on June 29. It stated ‘The Government of India has officially commenced the first round of negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Maldives.’
Under a trade agreement, two countries either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them. The Bilateral trade between India and the Maldives increased by 13.5 per cent to $771.76 million (exports $458.71 million and imports $313 million) in 2025-26 from $690 million in 2024-25. India is the major trading partner of the Maldives.
Indian imports from the Maldives primarily comprise scrap metals, while exports include a variety of engineering and industrial products like drugs and pharmaceuticals, radar apparatus, rock boulders, aggregates, cement, and agricultural products like rice, spices, fruits, vegetables and poultry produce. India and the Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for the export of essential commodities.
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