India-EU trade deal in ‘final stage’; negotiations are underway with the United States, says Piyush Goyal

Negotiations on a trade deal between India and the European Union are in their final stages, while discussions are underway with the United States for a bilateral trade deal, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

Goyal made these remarks during his keynote address at the regional MSME conclave in Rajkot, Gujarat.

The comments come days after India and the EU reported “good progress” in their trade talks following Goyal’s meetings with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in Brussels earlier this month. Both sides said outstanding issues had narrowed and reaffirmed their intention to reach a fair and balanced agreement at the earliest.
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During the Brussels engagement, Goyal and Sefcovic asked their negotiating teams to speed up discussions and resolve outstanding issues. The negotiations, which have gone through several rounds over the past few years, aim to secure a deal before the next India-EU summit scheduled for later this month in New Delhi.

The European Union is India’s largest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade valued at over $136 billion in 2024-25.

Bilateral trade talks between the United States and India continue

Goyal’s remarks also come against the backdrop of continued engagement between India and the United States on trade issues, with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor expressing optimism about the negotiations on Monday.
India and the United States have held several rounds of negotiations on a draft bilateral trade agreement (BTA), and Gor said the next round was expected as early as Tuesday.
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Speaking after taking office in New Delhi, Gor said the differences between the two sides should be seen within the framework of a resilient partnership. “True friends may disagree, but they can resolve differences,” he said, referring to ongoing trade negotiations.

Gor added that India and the United States remain in regular contact on trade issues despite unresolved issues related to tariffs and market access, even as New Delhi simultaneously advances its trade negotiations with the European Union.