Overview

• Negotiators meet in Brussels on Oct. 6 for the 14th round after September’s session failed to deliver the expected breakthrough.
• The EU says it remains ready to conclude a meaningful package this year, aligning with the target set by Ursula von der Leyen and Narendra Modi.
• Core sticking points remain on automobile tariffs, agricultural market access, and rules of origin that will determine the scope of liberalisation.
• Officials report provisional closure of 11 chapters including digital trade, customs and trade facilitation, intellectual property, transparency, competition, and dispute settlement.
• A parallel Investment Protection Agreement is under negotiation as the EU frames the pact as a way to diversify trade and strengthen supply chains, with current goods trade at about €120 billion and total trade near €180 billion.