The European Union (EU) has updated its draft list of countries eligible to export marine products to the bloc to include India, the commerce ministry said on Thursday.
India would not have been able to export seafood to the EU after September this year without the update.
The EU had in 2024 released a draft list of countries — which did not include India — that were eligible to supply products of animal origin intended for human consumption after September 2026, to ensure that the products did not contain antimicrobial medicines.
Brussels revised the list on Tuesday and added countries that have demonstrated compliance with EU restrictions on antimicrobial use in food-producing animals and have provided the necessary guarantees and assurances under the EU regulations.
“India’s proposed inclusion is a major positive development for the country’s seafood export sector and reflects the EU’s confidence in India’s regulatory systems, residue monitoring mechanisms, and food safety standards,” the commerce ministry said in a press release.
The EU, accounting for 19 per cent of India’s seafood exports in FY26, was the third-largest export destination for the product. India’s marine products exports jumped 14 per cent to $8.43 billion in FY26.
Following a 50 per cent tariff levy by the US, India’s top export destination for marine products, last year, the government has been making attempts to diversify seafood markets.
New Delhi has negotiated tariff concessions for marine products under its free trade agreements with the EU and the UK. The EU had also in the past delisted some Indian fishing establishments, but India used quality control orders and standards to push for restoration.