India-UAE CEPA joint committee holds 3rd meeting

New Delhi, Nov 27: India and the United Arab Emirates held the third meeting of the Joint Committee under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade ties.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, UAE.

Both sides welcomed the continued rise in bilateral trade, which reached USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024–25, a 19.6% increase, further cementing the UAE’s position as one of India’s leading trading partners. A detailed review of CEPA implementation was conducted, covering market access issues, data sharing, allocation of Gold TRQ, anti-dumping concerns, services, Rules of Origin and BIS licensing. India also briefed the UAE on its recent decision to allocate Gold TRQ through a transparent competitive bidding process.

The two sides also discussed recent high-level engagements, including meetings between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Dr. Thani in Mumbai and Dubai. Both reaffirmed the goal of boosting non-oil and non-precious metal trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. Regulatory cooperation in pharmaceuticals, coordination on Certificates of Origin, BIS facilitation, and the early signing of a food safety MoU between APEDA and UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change & Environment were also addressed. The meeting concluded with an agreement to strengthen trade facilitation, regulatory collaboration and data sharing, and to convene a Services Subcommittee meeting. The UAE delegation also met Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal to discuss optimal utilisation of CEPA. The visit, officials said, reflects the growing strategic partnership between India and the UAE and the shared commitment to expanding market opportunities under CEPA.