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India’s Trade Agreements
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India’s Trade Agreements Portfolio
India’s approach to Trade Agreements has seen a significant acceleration in recent years, reflecting a more strategic and outward-looking trade policy. The country has actively concluded multiple comprehensive agreements while simultaneously fast-tracking large-scale negotiations, signaling a shift from cautious engagement to proactive global integration.
India’s trade policy has shifted toward Next-Generation agreements that go beyond simple tariff cuts to include digital trade, investment mandates, and regulatory alignment. As of April 30, 2026, the following landscape defines India's economic integration with the world.
Recently Signed FTAs — Pending Ratification/Implementation
| Agreement | Type | Status | Expected Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | FTA | Signed April 27, 2026 | Target Oct 2026: 100% duty-free access for Indian exports. |
| EU | FTA | Concluded Jan 27, 2026 | Legal scrubbing; ratification pending |
| UK | CETA | Signed July 2025 | Final parliamentary ratification pending. |
| Oman | CEPA | Signed Dec 2025 | Target June 1, 2026: Immediate duty-free access on 98% lines. |
Source: Asia Briefing
India’s Active Trade Negotiations in 2026
| Partner/Bloc | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| US | Bilateral Trade Agreement | Ongoing discussions |
| Canada | CEPA | Terms of Reference (ToR) signed; negotiations resume |
| Peru | FTA / PTA | Active discussions |
| Israel | FTA | ToR signed (2025), Round 1 concluded Feb 2026 |
| Gulf Cooperation Council | FTA | ToR finalized for FTA negotiations, Launched Feb 2026 |
| Australia | CECA upgrade | Negotiations ongoing |
Source: Asia Briefing
India’s trade agreements in effect as of 2026
FTAs/Comprehensive Agreements in Force
| Agreement / Partner | Type | Status (Feb 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN–India) | FTA (goods + services) | In force | Under review (Rules of Origin (RoO) concerns) |
| Japan | CEPA | In force | Modernization discussions ongoing |
| South Korea | CEPA | In force | Services & auto clauses under review |
| Singapore | CECA | In force | Services & investment integrated |
| Malaysia | CECA | In force | Comprehensive coverage |
| Thailand | Early harvest scheme | In force | Limited product coverage |
| Sri Lanka | FTA | In force | Goods-focused |
| Nepal | Trade treaty | In force | Bilateral trade facilitation |
| Bhutan | Trade agreement | In force | Special bilateral arrangement |
| Mauritius | CECPA (2021) | In force | India’s first Africa trade pact |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | CEPA (2022) | In force | Tariff cuts on 90 percent+ lines |
| Australia | ECTA (2022) | In force | CECA upgrade under negotiation |
| EFTA | TEPA (2024) | In force (Oct 2025) | Includes US$100bn investment commitment |
Source: Trade agreements, Department of Commerce, Government of India.
India’s Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs)
| Agreement | Type | Status | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercosur | PTA | In force | Limited tariff concessions |
| Chile | PTA – FTA Upgrade | In force | Expanded product list |
| APTA | PTA | In force | Regional tariff preferences |
| South Asian Free Trade Area | FTA (regional) | In force | - |
| Global System of Trade Preferences | PTA | In force | - |
Source: Asia Briefing
Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)
| Partner | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | BIT signed 2024 | Based on 2016 Model BIT |
| UK | Investment provisions aligned with 2025 trade deal | Subject to ratification |
Source: Asia Briefing
- FTA: Free Trade Agreement (Focuses primarily on reducing tariffs on goods)
- CEPA: Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (A deeper pact covering goods, services, investment, and intellectual property)
- CECA: Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Similar to CEPA, often used as an interim or sector-focused framework)
- CETA: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
- TEPA: Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement
- CECPA: Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement
- ECTA: Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement
- PTA: Preferential Trade Agreement (A limited-scope agreement providing lower tariffs on a specific list of products)
- APTA: Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (Formerly the Bangkok Agreement; includes India, China, South Korea, etc.)
- SAFTA: South Asian Free Trade Area (The free trade bloc of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations)
- SAPTA: SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (The precursor to SAFTA)
- GSTP: Global System of Trade Preferences (A framework for trade among developing countries/G77)
- EFTA: European Free Trade Association (Comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland)
- GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council (Comprising UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain)
