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India-EU discuss core chapter of trade deal as deadline inches close

Piyush Goyal, held discussions with Maroš Šefčovič, the European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, on 8-9 December 2025.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that Oman has agreed to export marble blocks to India under the trade deal that will help India replace the imports of Turkish marble and help the processing industry create more jobs

With weeks left to close the trade-deal negotiations by the end of the year, EU negotiators who were in India between December 3 and 9 discussed core chapters of the deal, including market access for goods and services and technical barriers to trade, among others.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry on Tuesday said that Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, held discussions with Maroš Šefčovič, the European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, on 8-9 December 2025.

“The discussions were aimed at providing strategic guidance to the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiating teams as both sides work towards agreeing on the earliest. The visit takes place against the backdrop of the technical discussions held from 3-9 December 2025 in New Delhi across key chapters of India-EU FTA covering Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Services, Technical Barriers to Trade, Trade and Sustainable Development, etc,” the ministry said.

The visit of the European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security was preceded by high-level discussions between the Commerce Secretary and the Director-General of Trade, European Commission, in New Delhi on 7th December 2025, a statement released by the Commerce Ministry said.

Talks come as the European Union is emerging as a significant market for Indian goods amid steep US tariffs on India.

In April-October 2025, Indian merchandise exports to Germany grew at 7.32 per cent in comparison to last year, indicating growing business with the European country, a government statement said.

Pointing out that the initiatives of the government to promote exports, Vivek Thakur, a BJP MP who briefed the media about India’s growth in exports, said: “The results of these initiatives is that the rate of rejection of indian exported products by importing countries is reduced by 12.5% in June 2025 compared to June 2024.”

Thakur pointed out that the schemes, such as Zero Duty Export Capital Goods and Market Access Initiative, have kept the export of engineering goods robust in the period between April to October.

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“India’s merchandise exports to countries like Spain, UAE, China, Hong Kong, USA, Germany, South Korea, Brazil and Belgium are showing strong growth… All this data shows that we are on the right track towards our objectives and Viksit Bharat,” Thakur said.With weeks left to close the trade-deal negotiations by the end of the year, EU negotiators who were in India between December 3 and 9 discussed core chapters of the deal, including market access for goods and services and technical barriers to trade, among others.

The Commerce and Industry Ministry on Tuesday said that Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, held discussions with Maroš Šefčovič, the European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, on 8-9 December 2025.

“The discussions were aimed at providing strategic guidance to the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiating teams as both sides work towards agreeing on the earliest. The visit takes place against the backdrop of the technical discussions held from 3-9 December 2025 in New Delhi across key chapters of India-EU FTA covering Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Services, Technical Barriers to Trade, Trade and Sustainable Development, etc,” the ministry said.
The visit of the European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security was preceded by high-level discussions between the Commerce Secretary and the Director-General of Trade, European Commission, in New Delhi on 7th December 2025, a statement released by the Commerce Ministry said.
Talks come as the European Union is emerging as a significant market for Indian goods amid steep US tariffs on India.

Official data showed that Spain is one of the upcoming trading partners of India with trade relations encompassing various sectors of the economy. In April-October 2025, the merchandise exports to Spain rose by $3.81 billion, a jump of 40.74 per cent. Meanwhile, India’s merchandise exports to Germany also rose.

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In April-October 2025, Indian merchandise exports to Germany grew at 7.32 per cent in comparison to last year, indicating growing business with the European country, a government statement said.

Pointing out that the initiatives of the government to promote exports, Vivek Thakur, a BJP MP who briefed the media about India’s growth in exports, said: “The results of these initiatives is that the rate of rejection of indian exported products by importing countries is reduced by 12.5% in June 2025 compared to June 2024.”

Thakur pointed out that the schemes, such as Zero Duty Export Capital Goods and Market Access Initiative, have kept the export of engineering goods robust in the period between April to October.
“India’s merchandise exports to countries like Spain, UAE, China, Hong Kong, USA, Germany, South Korea, Brazil and Belgium are showing strong growth… All this data shows that we are on the right track towards our objectives and Viksit Bharat,” Thakur said.

Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, specializing in economic policy and financial regulations. With over five years of experience in business journalism, he provides critical coverage of the frameworks that govern India's commercial landscape. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s reporting concentrates on the intersection of government policy and market operations. His core beats include: Trade & Commerce: Analysis of India's import-export trends, trade agreements, and commercial policies. Banking & Finance: Covering regulatory changes and policy decisions affecting the banking sector. Professional Experience: Prior to joining The Indian Express, Mishra built a robust portfolio working with some of India's leading financial news organizations. His background includes tenures at: Mint CNBC-TV18 This diverse experience across both print and broadcast media has equipped him with a holistic understanding of financial storytelling and news cycles. Find all stories by Ravi Dutta Mishra here ... Read More

 

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