Overview

• India and the EU completed the 14th round of free trade talks in Brussels after Oct 6–12 sessions, with the 15th round expected in mid-November in New Delhi.
• Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is slated to visit Brussels later this month to meet EC Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and press for progress.
• Key gaps remain on tariff reductions and related files, with CBAM implications, rules of origin, and SPS/TBT issues still on the table across 23 negotiating chapters.
• A senior Indian delegation will visit the United States this week to advance a first-phase Bilateral Trade Agreement that both sides have targeted for the fall window.
• Talks with Washington still contend with a 25% reciprocal tariff plus a 25% oil-linked penalty on some Indian goods, even as the sides discuss energy trade and a path toward $500 billion in commerce by 2030.