‘India-UK FTA in May, NZ, EU pact moves ahead’

New Delhi

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement is set to become operational in May, marking a conclusion to the long-standing trade negotiations, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Wednesday.

"We expect the Free Trade Agreement related to the UK to come into operation in the month of May sometime," Agrawal said on Wednesday.

The negotiations for the India-EU FTA are also set to conclude, with the signing expected before the end of the current calendar year. The Ministry aims to bring the pact into force within the current financial year. "FTA with the EU is likely to be signed before the end of this calendar year, and we will try to get it into operation before the end of this financial year," the Commerce Secretary stated.

Agrawal also shared that negotiations for the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will resume this month. An Indian delegation is set to visit the US from April 20 to April 22 to take forward the discussions. This follows an interim trade deal announced on Feb 2, 2026, and a joint statement released on Feb 7.

India has concluded negotiations for the India-New Zealand FTA, where domestic processes for signing and ratification are now taking place. Reviews for existing agreements continue, including the 11th round of negotiations for the India-Korea CEPA.