India-EU FTA to scrap 10-26% duties on $33B labour-intensive exports across 20 pillars

Commerce Ministry confirms India-EU FTA structured on 20 chapters will grant preferential access to 99.5% of exports, eliminating 10-26% duties on textiles, apparel, gems, jewellery, leather and footwear. Deal opens EU's $263B textile import market and embeds UPI-led digital trade rails.

— Source publishedTue, 19 May, 2026, 15:31 IST·First seen Tue, 19 May, 2026, 15:38 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

India-EU FTA, built on 20 pillars, will eliminate 10-26% duties on labour-intensive Indian exports including textiles, apparel, gems, jewellery, leather and

Key facts

  • 20 chapters
  • 99.5% exports preferential
  • USD 33 billion labour-intensive exports
  • USD 7.2 billion textiles/apparel
  • USD 263 billion EU textile imports
  • 10-26% duties to be eliminated

Why this matters

Scout bolt-on acquisitions of EU distribution, branded apparel, and leather/footwear platforms to convert tariff savings into shelf presence before competitors arbitrage the 99.5% preferential access window.

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