India and the UAE held the third meeting of the Joint Committee under the India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and H.E. Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, UAE. Both sides welcomed the strong momentum in bilateral trade, which reached USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024–25, marking a robust 19.6% growth and reaffirming the UAE’s status as a key trading partner for India. The Joint Committee remains the main mechanism for reviewing CEPA implementation, resolving issues, and strengthening cooperation.

During the meeting, officials conducted a detailed review of progress under CEPA, discussing market access, data sharing, Gold TRQ allocation, anti-dumping concerns, services, Rules of Origin, and BIS licensing. India also updated the UAE on its new transparent competitive bidding process for Gold TRQ allocation.

The sides noted recent high-level engagements, including meetings between India’s Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UAE Minister H.E. Dr. Thani in Mumbai and Dubai. They reiterated their commitment to boosting non-oil and non-precious metal trade toward the USD 100 billion target by 2030. Discussions further covered regulatory coordination in pharmaceuticals, addressing issues related to Certificates of Origin, BIS alignment, and finalising the MoU on Food Safety and Technical Requirements between APEDA (India) and MoCCAE (UAE).

The meeting concluded with both countries agreeing to enhance trade facilitation, regulatory cooperation, data sharing, and to convene the Services Subcommittee soon. The UAE delegation also met Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal to discuss ways to maximise CEPA utilisation. The visit highlighted the continued commitment of both nations to deepen trade ties, expand market opportunities, and strengthen their strategic partnership under CEPA.