谈了20年，印度终于向欧盟开放“庞大且戒备森严的市场”：96%关税将取消或降低

Group 1 - The core point of the news is the formal establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) after nearly 20 years of negotiations, which is expected to significantly open India's market and create major opportunities for both regions [1][3]. - The agreement aims to improve market access, reduce trade barriers, and provide stable long-term planning and rules for businesses on both sides, particularly in trade, security, and clean energy transition [3][5]. - The EU is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral goods trade expected to reach €120 billion in 2024, accounting for 11.5% of India's total trade [3]. Group 2 - The agreement is projected to eliminate or reduce 96.6% of bilateral trade tariffs by value, saving European companies €4 billion in tariff costs and doubling EU exports to India by 2032 [3][5]. - India will reduce tariffs on European automobiles from 110% to 10% over the next five years, marking a significant move to open its automotive market, although electric vehicles will be excluded from this reduction for the first five years [4]. - Tariffs on European alcoholic beverages, such as wine, will be reduced from 150% to 75% immediately, and then gradually to 20% [4]. Group 3 - The negotiations for the trade agreement resumed in 2022 after a nine-year hiatus and gained momentum following the imposition of tariffs by the Trump administration on various trade partners, including India [5]. - The agreement is part of a broader strategy by the EU to mitigate trade risks with the US, as it has also signed FTAs with Indonesia, Mexico, and Switzerland recently [5]. - The tariff reductions are expected to boost exports in labor-intensive sectors in India, helping to offset the impact of US tariffs [5].