Landmark deal for EU-India trade
Brussels, 27 January 2026 – The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) welcomes the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India.
The successful end to negotiations is a landmark moment in global trade relations. Running contrary to the global trend, this FTA is a strong statement of intent by both parties to furthering more open and mutually beneficial trade relations.
It will greatly help European automobile exports enter a market of 4 million passenger cars that, until now, has been protected by prohibitively high import tariffs of up to 110%.
The agreement does come with important restrictions such as quota limitations and residual tariffs that will limit the potential benefit to some extent. However, a full assessment of the detailed terms of the deal will begin once the texts are published in the coming weeks.
ACEA members support this FTA and will ask EU member states and the European Parliament to give their timely approval to allow for its implementation as soon as possible.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) welcomes the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India.
About ACEA
- The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
- Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on https://www.x.com/ACEA_auto or https://www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/
Contact:
- Camille Lamarque, Media Relations Manager, cl@acea.auto, +32 2 738 73 16
About the EU automobile industry
- 13.6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
- 8.1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
- €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments
- €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
- Over 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
- €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total


