India-UAE Review CEPA Progress, Focus on Trade and Market Access

By siliconindia | Thursday, 27 November 2025, 13:10 Hrs

India and UAE review CEPA implementation and trade progress.
Discussions cover market access, data sharing, gold import quotas, and services.
Bilateral trade crosses $100 billion; target set for non-oil trade growth by 2030.

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held a high-level review of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), discussing key issues to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The talks focused on market access, data sharing, gold import quota allocation, anti-dumping measures, and service sector collaboration.

The joint committee also explored regulatory cooperation in pharmaceuticals, resolving certificate of origin challenges, and expediting a memorandum of understanding on food safety between India’s APEDA and UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. India highlighted its new transparent competitive bidding system for gold Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) during the discussions.

CEPA, a type of free trade agreement, has facilitated closer economic ties, with bilateral trade surpassing $100 billion in 2024-25, a 19.6% increase from the previous year. Both nations aim to boost non-oil and non-precious metal trade to $100 billion by 2030.

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Officials emphasized that ongoing collaboration on rules of origin, BIS licensing, and technical standards would further deepen trade relations and support investment opportunities. The discussions underscored the commitment of both countries to enhance transparency, efficiency, and regulatory alignment to unlock growth across sectors.

The CEPA review reflects India and UAE’s shared goal of fostering a robust, diversified, and future-ready trade partnership that benefits businesses and consumers in both markets.