Update - India – UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements

India – UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements: Public Notice No. 06/2015-2020 dated May 1, 2022

I. Introduction and Overview

On 18 February 2022, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed the India-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement ("CEPA"), which came into force on 1 May 2022.¹ The commitments made under the CEPA were ratified vide Customs Notification No. 22/2022-customs dated 30 April 2022² (Notification).

While most tariff lines were subject to the reduced/eliminated tariffs, tariff reductions for certain tariff line items are subjected to Tariff Rate Quota ("TRQ"). Table III of the Notification provides the list, which includes goods of plastic (Chapter 39), gold (Chapter 71), and copper (Chapter 74). The provisions on tariff reduction subject to TRQs included as part of the CEPA are the first in various trade agreements signed by India. The tariff reductions subject to TRQ appear to have been included in