Piyush Goyal to visit Brussels for India-EU FTA talks; What's New Delhi seeking in trade deal?

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Brussels on January 8-9 for high-level talks with the European Union as India and the bloc push to conclude the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), according to an official statement.

The visit comes amid intensifying diplomatic and technical engagements between New Delhi and the European Union in a renewed thrust to finalise the long-pending India-EU FTA.

India and the EU resume negotiations in June 2022 after a gap of over nine years and, since then, the two sides have held 14 rounds of talks along with several ministerial-level engagements, the latest in December 2025.

During the visit, Goyal will hold discussions with the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, to provide “strategic direction to negotiating teams, address outstanding issues and expedite the conclusion of a balanced and ambitious agreement.”

The ministerial engagement follows a week of intensive deliberations in Brussels, including meetings on January 6-7 between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand.

The EU is currently India’s largest trading partner and a major investor. India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $136.53 billion in 2024-25 (exports worth $75.85 billion and imports worth $60.68 billion).

The EU market accounts for about 17% of India's total exports, and the bloc's exports to India constitute 9% of its total overseas shipments.

The India-EU negotiations cover 23 chapters, including Trade in Goods, Services, Investment, Technical Barriers to Trade, Rules of Origin, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Government Procurement, Dispute Settlement, Intellectual Property Rights, and Sustainable Development, among others.

India is seeking zero-duty access for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, apparel, gems and jewellery, and handicrafts.

Indian exports such as ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, steel, petroleum products, and electrical machinery are expected to gain a competitive edge in the EU market once the agreement is finalised.

Both sides have expressed strong political commitment to deliver a comprehensive deal that supports a rules-based trading system, protects the interests of farmers and MSMEs, and integrates Indian industry more deeply into global supply chains, the statement said.

The importance of the free trade agreement with the EU has increased in view of the steep tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the United States.