Commerce Secretary holds Brussels talks with European Commission on putting proposed India-EU FTA into effect

High-level talks were held in Brussels to give India's economic ties with the European Union a new direction. In meetings between Indian Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal and senior European Commission officials, preparations to put the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) into effect, easier market access and greater cooperation on customs were discussed in detail. It is hoped that this will remove technical hurdles to trade between India and European countries and bring large benefits to both economies.

On October 30, 2026, the Indian Embassy in Brussels and BusinessEurope jointly held a business roundtable. Commerce Secretary Agarwal and Ambassador Pranay Verma addressed it. Agarwal once again presented India's strong economic growth and investment opportunities. During the visit he also met the heads of key directorates-general of the European Commission separately.

Among them was Dittee Juul Jorgensen, Director-General for Trade and Economic Security. Agreement was reached with her on easing trade on both sides, improving market access, making supply chains more resilient and creating new opportunities for Indian and European companies.

In the meeting with Gerassimos Thomas, Director-General for Taxation and Customs Union, the emphasis was on making customs procedures digital, transparent and faster, so that traders' transaction costs fall. Cooperation in green technology, sustainable development and clean energy was discussed with Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships.

Under the proposed agreement, Europe's market will become easier and cheaper for Indian producers. Import duty will be removed entirely on more than 99 per cent of Indian goods going to the European Union. Textile, leather goods and gems and jewellery makers will benefit directly, creating jobs on a large scale.

India, for its part, will gradually reduce duties on more than 96 per cent of goods coming from Europe. This includes bringing import duty on European cars down to 10 per cent, with a quota of 250,000 units a year.

Apart from the trade talks, the Commerce Secretary also held an important meeting with leading representatives of the diamond industry from the Antwerp Diamond Ecosystem. They discussed the global diamond value chain, responsible sourcing, certification requirements and growing opportunities in diamond processing and manufacturing in India. Both sides stressed strengthening cooperation among the world's diamond centres such as Mumbai, Surat and Antwerp.

India and the European Union have decided that customs procedures will be made fully modern and transparent for the agreement to be implemented successfully. Digital platforms will be used more widely to speed up the movement of goods and simplify customs paperwork. Both sides reiterated their commitment to a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.