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exports are facing mounting pressure from aggressive trade policies by partners such as the United States and the European Union, a senior trade ministry official said on Tuesday. Citing the U.S. decision to raise import tariffs and initiatives like the CHIPS Act, Santosh Sarangi, head of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), said it was «high time India also looked at our trade and industrial policies comprehensively». U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to impose reciprocal tariffs from early April on trading partners including India is worrying Indian exporters in sectors ranging from autos to agriculture, with Citi Research analysts estimating potential losses at about $7 billion a year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. With tariffs poised to take effect on Tuesday on products from Canada and Mexico, plus threats of levies on imports from the European Union, one thing is clear: President Donald Trump likes the number 25. All of those tariffs are set at 25%, assuming no last-minute deal to lower them.

trans-Atlantic security. As evident, the Trump administration is unlikely to commit to a security framework in Europe where it pits Washington against Moscow. In fact, Washington is demonstrably against security commitments abroad, to the extent that its age-old commitments under Nato now hang in the balance. What is certain, though, is that any road to getting Washington's security commitments is likely to involve a large economic component. As such, the semblance of an offer that the US has put on the table for Ukraine as a guarantee against Moscow is a mineral deal without any explicit security guarantees. Clearly, this approach may not be acceptable to most countries, certainly not to Ukraine. An immediate repercussion of Washington's security recoil has been the beginning of an almost pan-European consensus on the need to step up and fill potential gaps that could emerge as a result. Most European leaders appeared bound in a consensus to carve a new security assurance for Ukraine, except this time without the US. France, Germany and Britain, along with the EU as a bloc, depicted existential urgency at Sunday's leaders' European security summit in London, knowing that the block may have to take charge of not just its own security but also negotiations on part of Ukraine.

European leaders are confronting their worst-case scenario: maybe they really are going to be dealing with a bellicose Russia alone.

Ukraine’s war effort is fading fast, and Europe will need to pick up the slack. While Sunday’s gathering of European leaders in London included a commitment to keep military aid flowing and to formulate a peace plan, it’s the details that will matter. So far, the US peace strategy has seemed to rest on appeasing the Kremlin — promising territorial concessions, parroting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points and trash-talking the transatlantic alliance. Zelenskiy, on the heels of the leaders of France and Britain, failed to elicit firm security guarantees from the White House last week. The rebuke he received after pressing the matter — “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” exclaimed Vice President JD Vance — has left relations with the US uncertain. How exactly the White House intends to stop the fighting remains to be seen. But Europe ought to recognize the leverage it does have to shape the endgame, as well as the urgent need to develop more.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. President Trump’s tariffs on top U.S. trading partners are set to take effect in coming days.

Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, feels when it comes to the India-EU partnership, «the sky truly is the limit for the future». This comes at a time when countries are grappling with challenges on multiple fronts-geopolitical headwinds, the need to secure industrial competitiveness while also tackling climate change. Bullish on India's efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy while expanding the country's economic output and bridging development gaps, Hoekstra, who was in Delhi last week, spoke of the potential for increased India-EU cooperation in areas like renewables and batteries, building the clean manufacturing industrial base in India and Europe, and delivering on the promise of carbon markets.

Nifty 50 extending its longest monthly losing streak since 1996 amid growing concerns over domestic market conditions. The benchmark BSE Sensex lost 1414.33 points or 1.90% to close at 73,198.10, while the broader Nifty 50 index closed at 22,124.70, lower by 420.35 points or 1.86%.

«In order to pave the way for the implementation of leader Apo's call for peace and democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective from today,» the PKK executive committee said in a statement quoted by the pro-PKK ANF news agency, referring to Ocalan. «We agree with the content of the call as it is and we say that we will follow and implement it,» the committee said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India and the UK have restarted negotiations for a free trade agreement, which had been in limbo for almost a year due to the 2024 general elections in the two countries. Besides negotiating easier market access for various goods and services, the two sides are discussing a bilateral investment treaty and a social security agreement for expatriate workers and professionals.

European Union (EU) on Friday decided to forge a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of the year. Following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the preparation of a «blueprint for collaboration in the areas of trade, technology, investment, innovation, green growth, security, skilling and mobility» was announced. «We have directed our teams to conclude a mutually beneficial bilateral FTA by the end of this year,» the PM said in a press statement in the presence of von der Leyen. Later, officials from both sides told the media they had been given a clear mandate and political direction on the FTA.

If the tariffs are confirmed, «Europeans will respond and therefore there will be reciprocal tariffs. Because we must protect ourselves, defend ourselves,» Macron said in Porto during a state visit to Portugal. «We must not be weak in the face of these measures,» he said alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.

In an address at a think-tank ahead of the talks, the European Commission chief said proposed security and defence partnership will help the two sides to tackle common threats such as cross-border terrorism and attacks on critical infrastructure. Security should be a core part of our new strategic partnership with India, she said.

European Commission’s visa “cascade” regime. Effective April 18, 2024, the policy allows frequent travelers from India to obtain multi-entry visas valid for up to two years initially, followed by a five-year validity period if passport conditions permit. The visa policy has improved mobility between India and the Schengen region. Indian travelers meeting the eligibility criteria will have travel privileges similar to those of visa-exempt nationals. The move aims to facilitate tourism, business, and family visits while strengthening EU-India ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the new visa system in the ongoing negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), saying, «We welcome the new visa cascade regime of the EU. This will provide better mobility to the abilities of India's talented youth.»

In a post on his Truth Social platform today (27 February), Trump said the proposed tariffs will go into effect as scheduled, as he continued accusing the two countries of allowing drugs to flow across their borders and into the US. «A large percentage of these drugs, much of them in the form of fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China,» the president said. Trump signals 25% tariffs on EU coming 'very soon' As a result, he added that China will also be handed an additional 10% tariff taking effect on the same day. This comes on top of the 10% levy imposed on Beijing this mo...

Ursula von der Leyen, focusing on imparting fresh momentum to the India-European Union (EU) strategic partnership. The two sides are expected to take stock of the ongoing negotiations to firm up an ambitious trade deal as well as explore ways to boost trade and investment ties.

US President Donald Trump added uncertainty to looming tariffs on Canada and Mexico by suggesting they could take effect on April 2, extending the deadline by a month. However, a White House official later clarified that the previous March 2 deadline remained in place «as of this moment,» adding to market volatility.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Trump administration is moving at warp speed to announce new tariffs. Implementing them is another story.

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on goods imported from the European Union, stating that the trade relationship between the two sides has been unfair to the United States.