India and the European Union reach a free trade deal representing a third of global trade

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and the European Union reached a free trade agreement Tuesday that could affect as many as 2 billion people after nearly two decades of negotiations.

The accord, which the head of the EU’s executive branch described as the “mother of all deals,” will see free trade on almost all goods between the EU’s 27 members and India, covering everything from textiles to medicines, and bringing down high import taxes for European wine and cars. It will likely take several months before the agreement takes effect.

kAm%96 562= 36EH66? EH@ @7 E96 H@C=5VD 3:886DE >2C<6ED 4@>6D 2D (2D9:?8E@? E2C86ED 3@E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:?5:2\FD\E2C:77\6IA@CED\EC256\E6?D:@?\cg24e5d6`fa57_cgba4fd5a2df5_2ge_QmE96 pD:2? A@H6C9@FD6k^2m 2?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^56?>2C<\8C66?=2?5\FD\ECF>A\c25hh62bhfd2g3ea5bf35_che`7652ddQmt& 3=@4k^2m H:E9 DE66A :>A@CE E2C:77D[ 5:DCFAE:?8 6DE23=:D965 EC256 7=@HD 2?5 AFD9:?8 >2;@C 64@?@>:6D E@ D66< 2=E6C?2E6 A2CE?6CD9:AD]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 28C66>6?E H:== 3C:?8 >2;@C @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C E96 A6@A=6 @7 x?5:2 2?5 tFC@A6[” x?5:2? !C:>6 |:?:DE6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?2C6?5C2\>@5:Qm}2C6?5C2 |@5:k^2m D2:5 😕 2 G:CEF2= 255C6DD E@ 2? 6?6C8J 4@?76C6?46] “xE C6AC6D6?ED adT @7 E96 8=@32= vs! 2?5 @?6\E9:C5 @7 8=@32= EC256]”k^Am

kAmx?5:2 2?5 E96 t& 2=D@ 28C665 @? 2 7C2>6H@C< 7@C 566A6C 5676?D6 2?5 D64FC:EJ 4@@A6C2E:@?[ 2?5 2 D6A2C2E6 A24E 2:>65 2E 62D:?8 >@3:=:EJ 7@C D<:==65 H@C<6CD 2?5 DEF56?ED[ D:8?2=:?8 E92E E96:C A2CE?6CD9:A 6IE6?5D 36J@?5 4@>>6C46]k^Am

k9am&]$] AC6DDFC6 AC@A6=D 562=k^9am

kAm%96 ?68@E:2E:@?D 7@C E96 x?5:2\t& 562= 8@E 2 ?6H :>A6EFD 27E6C &]$] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D DEC@?8\2C> EC256 E24E:4D[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C62E6?:?8 9:D tFC@A62? 2==:6D H:E9 AF?:E:G6 E2C:77D @G6C E96:C @3;64E:@?D E@ %CF>AVD E9C62ED E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^56?>2C<\8C66?=2?5\ECF>A\36DD6?E\52G@D\23_d637226e2c`b5`7g`ad43hfae2c4dQmE2<6 4@?EC@= @7 vC66?=2?5k^2m]k^Am

kAm|@5:[ DA62<:?8 2E 2 ;@:?E ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 😕 }6H s6=9: H:E9 tFC@A62? r@>>:DD:@? !C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^FCDF=2\G@?\56C\=6J6?Qm&CDF=2 G@? 56C {6J6?k^2m 2?5 tFC@A62? r@F?4:= !C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2?E@?:@\4@DE2Qmp?Eó?:@ r@DE2k^2m[ D2:5 E92E E96 A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 t& “H:== DEC6?8E96? DE23:=:EJ 😕 E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= DJDE6>” 2E 2 E:>6 @7 ”EFC>@:= 😕 E96 8=@32= @C56C]”k^Am

kAm“tFC@A6 2?5 x?5:2 2C6 >2<:?8 9:DE@CJ E@52J] (6 92G6 4@?4=F565 E96 >@E96C @7 2== 562=D[” G@? 56C {6J6? A@DE65 @? )]k^Am

kAmx? 2 DA6649 =2E6C[ D96 D2:5 E92E E96 244@C5 H2D 2 E2=6 @7 “EH@ 8:2?ED” H9@ 49@D6 A2CE?6CD9:A Q:? 2 ECF6 H:?\H:? 72D9:@?]” $96 2=D@ D2:5 E92E :E D6?5D Q2 DEC@?8 >6DD286 E92E 4@@A6C2E:@? 😀 E96 36DE 2?DH6C E@ 8=@32= 492==6?86D]”k^Am

kAm%96 562= 😀 6IA64E65 E@ 7FCE96C :?E68C2E6 DFAA=J 492:?D 2?5 DEC6?8E96? ;@:?E >2?F724EFC:?8 A@H6C 36EH66? E96 EH@ 64@?@>:6D] xE H:== 2=D@ 4FE FA E@ c 3:==:@? 6FC@D WSc]f 3:==:@?X 😕 2??F2= E2C:77D 7@C 6IA@CE6CD 2?5 4C62E6 ;@3D 7@C >:==:@?D @7 H@C<6CD 😕 x?5:2 2?5 tFC@A6]k^Am

k9amt2D:?8 C68F=2E:@?k^9am

kAmp 7@C>2= D:8?:?8 @7 E96 562= 4@F=5 4@>6 =2E6C E9:D J62C 27E6C @77:4:2=D 8@ E9C@F89 E96 =682= 56E2:=D @7 E96 E6IE 2?5 E96 tFC@A62? !2C=:2>6?E C2E:7:6D :E] x?5:2VD EC256 >:?:DE6C[ !:JFD9 v@J2=[ D2:5 E92E 96 6IA64E65 E96 562= E@ E2<6 67764E 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am

kAmx?5:2 😀 6IA64E65 E@ C65F46 @C 6=:>:?2E6 E2C:77D 7@C he]eT @7 t& 6IA@CED[ H9:=6 qCFDD6=D H:== C64:AC@42E6 H:E9 D:>:=2C C65F4E:@?D 😕 A92D6D E92E 6G6?EF2==J 4@G6C ?62C=J hhT @7 x?5:2’D D9:A>6?ED 3J EC256 G2=F6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ DE2E6>6?ED 7C@> 3@E9 D:56D]k^Am

kAmx?5:2VD D64E@CD A@:D65 E@ 82:? 7C@> E96 562= :?4=F56 E6IE:=6D[ 2AA2C6=[ 6?8:?66C:?8 8@@5D[ 2?5 =62E96C[ 92?5:4C27E[ 7@@EH62C 2?5 >2C:?6 AC@5F4ED[ H9:=6 E96 t&’D 82:?D H:== 36 😕 H:?6[ 2FE@>@3:=6D[ 496>:42=D 2?5 A92C>246FE:42=D[ 2>@?8 @E96CD]k^Am

kAmp BF@E2 DJDE6> 7@C 2FE@>@3:=6D[ H:?6D 2?5 H9:D

kAm%96 tFC@A62? r@>>:DD:@? D2:5 E92E E2C:77D 492C865 3J x?5:2 @? t&\>256 42CD H:== 8C25F2==J 8@ 5@H? 7C@> “_T E@ 2D =@H 2D `_T[ H9:=6 E96J H:== 36 7F==J 23@=:D965 7@C 42C A2CED 27E6C 7:G6 E@ `_ J62CD] %2C:77D C2?8:?8 FA E@ ccT @? >249:?6CJ[ aaT @? 496>:42=D 2?5 “T @? A92C>246FE:42=D H:== 2=D@ 36 >@DE=J 6=:>:?2E65]k^Am

kAm~? tFC@A62? H:?6[ E96 E2C:77D 😕 x?5:2 H@F=5 4@>6 5@H? 7C@> `d_T E@ a_T 7@C AC6>:F> H:?6D]k^Am

kAm}6H s6=9: 92D 6I4=F565 52:CJ AC@5F4ED DF49 2D >:=< 2?5 4966D6 7C@> E96 562=[ 2=@?8 H:E9 46C62=D[ 4:E:?8 “5@>6DE:4 D6?D:E:G:E:6D” 23@FE E9@D6 AC@5F4ED] u@C :ED A2CE[ E96 t& H@?’E 2==@H 4@?46DD:@?2= E2C:77D @? :>A@CED @7 x?5:2? DF82C[ >62E[ A@F=ECJ 2?5 3667 AC@5F4ED[ x?5:2? %C256 |:?:DECJ @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am

k9am~77D6EE:?8 &]$] E2C:77D :>A24Ek^9am

kAmx?5:2 😀 =@@<:?8 E@ 5:G6CD:7J :ED 6IA@CE 56DE:?2E:@?D 2D A2CE @7 2 DEC2E68J E@ @77D6E E96 :>A24E @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:?5:2\FD\E2C:77\6IA@CED\EC256\E6?D:@?\cg24e5d6`fa57_cgba4fd5a2df5_2ge_Qm9:896C &]$] E2C:77Dk^2m[ :?4=F5:?8 2? 6IEC2 adT =6GJ @? x?5:2? 8@@5D 7@C :ED F?232E65 AFC492D6D @7 5:D4@F?E65 #FDD:2? @:=[ 3C:?8:?8 E96 4@>3:?65 E2C:77D :>A@D65 3J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @? :ED pD:2? 2==J E@ d_T]k^Am

kAmu@C E96 t&[ E96 562= @776CD E96 3=@4 6IA2?565 2446DD E@ @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5’D 72DE6DE\8C@H:?8 >2;@C 64@?@>:6D[ 2?5 96=AD tFC@A62? 6IA@CE6CD 2?5 :?G6DE@CD C65F46 E96:C C6=:2?46 @? >@C6 G@=2E:=6 >2C<6ED]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 😀 E96 >@DE 4@>AC696?D:G6 EC256 562= x?5:2 92D 6G6C D:8?65[ H9:49 8:G6D tFC@A62? 4@>A2?:6D 2 7:CDE >@G6C 25G2?E286 :?E@ E9:D >2C<6E 2?5 8:G6D E96> 2 DEC2E68:4 FAA6C 92?5 E92E @E96C A=2J6CD 5@ ?@E[” D2:5 v2C:>2 |@92?[ 2 D6?:@C 76==@H 2E E96 v6C>2? |2CD92== uF?5]k^Am

kAm%C256 36EH66? x?5:2 2?5 t& DE@@5 2E S`be]d 3:==:@? 😕 a_ac E@ a_ad] %96 EH@ D:56D 9@A6 E@ :?4C62D6 E92E E@ 23@FE Sa__ 3:==:@? 3J a_b_[ x?5:2? @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am

kAm“&=E:>2E6=J[ E96 28C66>6?E 😀 23@FE 4C62E:?8 2 DE23=6 4@>>6C4:2= 4@CC:5@C 36EH66? EH@ >2;@C >2C<6ED 2E 2 E:>6 E96 8=@32= EC25:?8 DJDE6> 😀 7C28>6?E:?8[” x?5:2? EC256 2?2=JDE p;2J $C:G2DE2G2 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 t& 😀 DE:== C66=:?8 7C@> E96 288C6DD:G6 2AAC@249 @7 :ED @?46\DE2=H2CE 2==J 24C@DD E96 pE=2?E:4] %96C6’D 2 H:56DAC625 D6?D6 @7 36EC2J2= 24C@DD E96 3=@4 7C@> %CF>A’D @?D=2F89E @7 9:896C E2C:77D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^I?\\4C@DDTa_E96Ta_6FDTa_afTa_?2E:@?DTa_:\J=gG^Qm6>3C246 @7 72C\C:89E A2CE:6Dk^2m 2?5 36==:86C6?46 @G6C vC66?=2?5[ 2 D6>:2FE@?@>@FD E6CC:E@CJ @7 t& >6>36C s6?>2C<]k^Am

kAmqCFDD6=D 92D 2446=6C2E65 :ED @FEC6249 E@ >2C<6ED 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5] ~G6C E96 A2DE J62C[ G@? 56C {6J6? 92D D:8?65 562=D H:E9 y2A2?[ x?5@?6D:2[ |6I:4@ 2?5 $@FE9 p>6C:42 F?56C E96 42E49A9C2D6 “DEC2E68:4 2FE@?@>J[” H9:49 😕 AC24E:46 😀 2<:? E@ 564@FA=:?8 7C@> 2 &]$] D66? 3J >@DE tFC@A62? =6256CD 2D 6CC2E:4]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm$2> |4}6:= C6A@CE65 7C@> qCFDD6=D]k^Am

India and the European Union reach a free trade deal representing a third of global trade | National News

Tags: