Both nations reaffirm commitment to expand non-oil trade and deepen regulatory cooperation
New Delhi, November 27, 2025:
India and the United Arab Emirates convened the third Joint Committee meeting under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi, marking another significant step in strengthening one of India’s most strategic international partnerships.
The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, and H.E. Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, UAE. Both sides welcomed the robust expansion in bilateral trade, which reached USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024–25, a strong 19.6% increase, reaffirming the UAE’s role as a major trade partner for India.
Comprehensive review of CEPA progress
The discussions covered key areas such as:
- market access and tariff-related issues,
- data-sharing frameworks,
- allocation process for Gold Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ),
- anti-dumping matters,
- services trade,
- Rules of Origin, and
- BIS licensing and certification.
India also updated the UAE on its new transparent competitive bidding process for allocating the Gold TRQ.
High-level engagements reinforce momentum
Both delegations took note of recent interactions between Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UAE Minister Dr. Thani, held in Mumbai and Dubai. The two sides reiterated their shared aim to grow the non-oil and non-precious metal trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.
The meeting also discussed:
- regulatory cooperation in pharmaceuticals,
- smoother processing of Certificates of Origin,
- improved BIS–UAE coordination,
- and the early signing of an MoU on Food Safety and Technical Requirements between APEDA (India) and MoCCAE (UAE).
Commitment to deeper integration
The meeting concluded with agreements to:
- enhance trade facilitation,
- strengthen regulatory collaboration,
- improve data sharing, and
- convene the Services Subcommittee meeting soon.
The UAE delegation also met Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal to discuss ways to optimise CEPA utilisation for both nations.
The visit underscores India and the UAE’s growing strategic alignment in trade, investment, and regulatory harmonisation under the CEPA framework.