Cotton textiles council pushes for Zero-Duty access for India in EU trade deal

The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council has emphasised the critical importance of securing a favourable deal for Indian cotton textile products in the European Union (EU) markets. The prevailing tariff barriers place Indian exporters at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis countries that enjoy preferential access, said the council’s chairman, Vijay Agarwal, in a statement.

Currently, India annually exports cotton-based textile products worth over $1.3 billion to the EU. A zero-duty regime would significantly enhance India’s competitiveness, strengthen MSME exporters, promote sustainable and value-added exports, and substantially expand India’s footprint in the EU, he said.

As the negotiations move closer to conclusion, the entire textile industry and trade once again looks to the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure an outcome that ensures a level playing field for Indian cotton textiles in the EU market, he said.

At the recently concluded Heimtextil Show in Frankfurt, Germany, the world’s largest global platform for home textiles, Indian exporters displayed strong enthusiasm and optimism about the upcoming India–EU trade agreement, which can unlock new growth opportunities for Indian cotton textiles, he said.

A Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council, said, “with the India–EU Free Trade Agreement expected to be concluded soon, and competing countries gradually losing preferential market access such as GSP benefits, the tables are likely to turn decisively in India’s favour.”

These developments will open new avenues for growth and enhance India’s competitiveness in key global markets. “We remain confident that with the collective efforts of industry and government, India will achieve the ambitious target of $40 billion in apparel exports by 2030, he said.

Published on January 25, 2026