India Seeks Simpler SPS & TBT Rules To Boost Market Access In EAEU Trade Deal

New Delhi, Jun 8 (KNN) India is pushing for simplified sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical compliance requirements as part of its ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an official said. 

The move is aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers that currently raise costs and delay shipments for Indian exporters, PTI reported.

The EAEU comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

What India Wants Simplified

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures govern the safety of food and agricultural products — covering areas such as pesticide residue limits in fruits and vegetables, restrictions on contaminated seafood, animal disease-related import conditions, and antibiotic residue testing. 

Technical barriers to trade (TBT) cover product standards, labelling and packaging rules, quality certification, and testing procedures.

Indian officials argue that complex and often duplicative requirements under these two categories effectively function as non-tariff barriers, inflating compliance costs and slowing market access. 

Easing these norms is expected to benefit Indian exporters of marine products, agricultural goods, and processed foods seeking greater access to the EAEU market.

Where Talks Stand

India and the EAEU signed the terms of reference to begin FTA negotiations on August 20 last year. The first round of talks was held in New Delhi in November 2025. The second round is expected to take place in Moscow later this month, the official told PTI.

The proposed agreement covers approximately 15 chapters, including provisions on goods trade and customs facilitation. It does not include a chapter on services.

Trade Ties Dominated by Russia, and Oil

Russia is India's largest trading partner within the EAEU, with bilateral trade reaching USD 68.72 billion in 2024–25 — though the figure is heavily skewed by crude oil imports, which accounted for USD 63.84 billion of that total against Indian exports of USD 4.88 billion.

Trade with the remaining four EAEU members remains comparatively modest. Bilateral trade stood at USD 349.48 million with Kazakhstan, USD 315.18 million with Armenia, USD 106.69 million with Belarus, and USD 56.78 million with Kyrgyzstan in the last fiscal year.

(KNN Bureau)