EU, India reach agreement on trade deal

 

EU, India reach agreement on trade deal

 

After on-off talks since 2007, the two sides finally take the plunge, responding to steep U.S. tariffs and cheap goods from China.

 

January 26, 2026 6:06 pm CET

By Camille Gijs

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-india-trade-agreement-deal-telecoms-finance/

 

NEW DELHI — The EU and India have concluded trade talks on a free trade agreement, a senior Indian official told POLITICO.

 

“Official-level negotiations are being concluded and both sides are all set to announce the successful conclusion of FTA talks on 27th January,” Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal told POLITICO.

 

Under the deal, India is expected to significantly reduce tariffs on cars and machinery as well agricultural goods such as wine and hard alcohol.

 

“This would be a very good story for our agriculture sector. I believe we are aiming to start a completely new chapter in the field of cooperation in the automotive sector, in machinery,” EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič told POLITICO.

 

On trade in services, the trade chief said that sectors like telecoms, maritime and financial services were expected to benefit.

 

“This is again something where also India is making groundbreaking steps to new levels of cooperation, because we are the first one with whom they’re ready to consider this cooperation,” he said.

 

The conclusion to the talks arrived as the EU leadership was on a three-day visit to India for a summit to boost trade and defense ties between New Delhi and Brussels.

 

With the talks between the two sides having been on and off since 2007, the pact comes at an ideal moment as New Delhi and Brussels battle steep tariffs from the U.S. and cheap goods from China.