

India-EU FTA opens import route for European carmakers even as near-term price cuts unlikely
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Chennai: India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, announced on Tuesday, will allow European carmakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz India and Volkswagen Group to use imports more strategically to introduce newer models and test demand in India, without committing to local manufacturing. The deal, however, is unlikely to trigger immediate price cuts for most vehicles already sold in the country.
Under the FTA, India has agreed to cut tariffs on imports of fully built cars over a period of time from 110% to 10%, with a quota of 250,000 cars annually. To be sure, the India–EU FTA does not go into effect immediately, with both sides now starting processes to ratify the deal. The agreement is expected to kick in only by 2027.
The trade deal comes as India and the European Union seek to hedge against the US, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the agreement would strengthen India’s manufacturing and services sectors and boost investor confidence. The tariff reduction gives European manufacturers optionality: they can bring in select completely built units (CBUs) without committing upfront to local manufacturing, and assess market response before deciding on localization, industry executives and analysts said. At the same time, the near-term impact on pricing is expected to be limited because most European carmakers have already localized production or assembly in India.
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