by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – India and the European Union have finalized a historic free trade agreement after nearly two decades of negotiations, leaders said Tuesday, in a pact set to reshape global commerce amid rising economic uncertainty and strained ties with the United States.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the accord as transformative, saying it would open significant opportunities for India’s 1.4 billion people and millions across Europe. He described it as the “mother of all deals.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement, calling it a reliable and strategic partnership that strengthens economic ties and delivers tangible benefits for businesses and consumers on both sides.
The deal paves the way for India to open its vast, closely guarded market—the world’s most populous—to freer trade with the 27-nation European Union, India’s largest trading partner. Trade between India and the EU totaled about $136.5 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2025.
KEY PROVISIONS AND MARKET OPENING
Officials said the agreement includes the phased elimination of tariffs on a wide range of Indian and EU goods, including textiles, chemicals, machinery, and food products.
It also significantly cuts automobile duties, with a staged reduction from currently high tariffs to as low as 10 percent for certain imports, aimed at encouraging broader trade and investment.
In addition, the pact is expected to provide broader access for Indian exports valued at about roughly $77 billion, while opening expanded opportunities for European companies across multiple sectors, according to officials.
LONG ROAD TO AGREEMENT AND NEXT STEPS
Negotiations were first launched more than 15 years ago and stalled repeatedly over disputes involving tariffs, market access, and regulatory standards, before gaining momentum amid shifting global trade dynamics.
The agreement now moves to legal vetting and ratification, a process expected to take several months. Officials said implementation could follow within about a year.
Analysts say the India-EU pact ranks among the most consequential trade agreements in recent years, strengthening economic links between two of the world’s largest markets and underscoring a broader push by governments to diversify partnerships as global alliances evolve.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Ukrainian man was detained Wednesday in Croatia over the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, authorities said, a development that raised questions over Ukraine’s role in the attack against key infrastructure of European allies.
A new U.S. Census Bureau analysis has identified more than 24,000 people who voted in the 2020 general election as noncitizens at the time they cast their ballots, prompting President Donald Trump to renew his call for stricter election-integrity laws.
The Trump administration has cleared the final judicial obstacle blocking its campaign to terminate Temporary Protected Status for migrants from a series of countries, potentially ending deportation protections for roughly one million people, according to The Washington Times.
Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day was overshadowed by grief as the death toll from the weekend’s massive earthquake rose to at least 68 and thousands were still awaiting aid on the hard-hit Indonesian island of Flores.
Ukraine faced another night of potentially deadly strikes as it struggled to defend itself after Russia and Ukraine traded some of their most intense aerial attacks of the war, with at least 10 civilians reported killed in northeastern Ukraine and hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeting Russia.
Nuclear material has been discovered in Syria and placed under International Atomic Energy Agency oversight, reviving attention on a clandestine nuclear program that Israel destroyed nearly two decades ago.
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to weigh in on a growing national battle over whether states may require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public-school classrooms, potentially setting the stage for a major First Amendment ruling.