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EU Targets Year-End Completion of Major India Trade Pact
(MENAFN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the European Union aims to finalize its long-awaited trade agreement with India before the end of the year.
The proposed deal, expected to establish a free trade area covering nearly 2 billion people, had faced delays for almost two decades before both sides reached an understanding earlier this year. At the time, von der Leyen described the agreement as the “mother of all deals.”
During a meeting Monday in Gothenburg with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the European Round Table for Industry, the European Commission chief pledged to move quickly in implementing the arrangement.
“The trade agreement opened the door; an investment agreement walks us through this door,” she said.
Trade between India and the EU totaled roughly $136 billion during the 2024-25 period, making the European bloc India’s biggest trading partner for goods.
According to India’s Commerce Ministry, the agreement is expected to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation while boosting exports from Indian states to EU markets by around $76 billion.
India had previously objected to several EU policies it considered non-tariff trade barriers affecting exports of steel, aluminium, and cement. Reports indicate the agreement may provide New Delhi with additional flexibility regarding carbon tax measures.
Modi arrived in Sweden following a visit to the Netherlands, where India upgraded bilateral relations with Stockholm to the level of a “Strategic Partnership.”
A similar enhancement in diplomatic ties was also announced during Modi’s meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. Reports estimate trade between India and Sweden reached approximately $7.75 billion in 2025.
Officials from India and Sweden additionally discussed expanding cooperation in sectors including investment, technology, innovation, green transition initiatives, space programs, emerging technologies, defense, security, and people-to-people exchanges.
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