Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Darpan Jain has said the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) includes a comprehensive work plan to address concerns surrounding the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), commonly referred to as the carbon tax. He also expressed confidence that domestic small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would not face significant challenges due to the measure. Jain said CBAM was one of the most intensively negotiated aspects of the agreement.
He said 'The first pillar is that, in case of flexibility in future, that will be available to India. So there is an obligation in that. Second, CBAM compliances are a concern among SMEs in terms of verification, in terms of finding out what is the value of embedded carbon, in terms of ensuring that the verifiers are recognised by the EU authorities. So, there are separate provisions, and we also have a provision in which we can engage with EU authorities on taking into account the carbon price, which is paid in India. As you would know, India also is developing its own carbon pricing mechanism. So, how to offset what is paid in India from what is paid in Europe, so even that is part of it.'
The CBAM came into effect on January 1, 2026. Under the mechanism, the EU imposes a carbon levy on imports of carbon-intensive goods, including steel, aluminium, fertilisers and cement, if their manufacturing emissions exceed prescribed thresholds. At present, the tax applies to steel and aluminium products.
India and the EU concluded negotiations for the FTA in January, 2026 and announced the successful conclusion of the talks. The agreement is expected to be signed later this year and could come into force next year. Jain said the pact would create substantial business opportunities for both sides. He noted that India and the EU together account for nearly one-third of global trade, estimated at around $33 trillion. Highlighting the potential benefits for European exporters, he said Germany, a global automotive manufacturing powerhouse, exports around $286 billion worth of automobiles annually, and the FTA would open significant opportunities for German companies in the Indian market.
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