EU–India FTA and machinery tariffs

The EU–India trade agreement was concluded on 27 January 2026 but is not signed or in force yet. Until it is, an EU-made machine pays India's normal duty — here is where the line-level rate will come from when it applies.

5 min read · updated 2026-09-19

Where the agreement stands today

The European Commission and India concluded negotiations on 27 January 2026 (s1). On 11 September 2026 the Commission put its proposals to the Council of the EU for signature; the text becomes final on signature, and entry into force still requires the Council's adoption, the signing, the European Parliament's agreement, the Council's decision on conclusion and India's ratification (s1). As of 19 September 2026 the agreement is therefore neither signed nor in force. Until it is in force, an EU-made machine shipped to India pays India's normal (MFN) basic customs duty — the same duty as any other origin without a trade deal in force — and the preferential rate cannot be quoted yet. Be sceptical of any calculator that shows the EU deal's saving today; there is no operative schedule to support it.

What to use now, and where the preferential rate will come from

Two things are worth separating. The first is classification: you need the right commodity code for your machine, and TARIC and the EU Combined Nomenclature can help you find it (s4). TARIC is the EU's own import tariff, though — it shows what the EU charges on imports, and it cannot show the duty India charges on yours. The second is the Indian-side rate. Today, for an EU-origin machine, that is India's normal (MFN) duty, and the Commission's Access2Markets is the tool to check it: it is built for EU exporters and covers the destination market's requirements (s3). When the EU–India agreement enters into force, the preferential rate for your line will come from India's schedule of tariff commitments under the agreement, published with the draft texts as Appendix 2-A2 to Annex 2-A on the Commission's site (s2). Because staging and exclusions are line by line, check the schedule for your specific HS code rather than a product description, and record the date you looked it up.

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