India, Israel conclude second round of trade pact negotiations

The second round of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Israel covering multiple issues such as trade in goods and services, rules of origin, technical barriers, intellectual property rights, customs procedures and trade facilitations has been concluded this week, an official statement said on Friday (July 24, 2026). The negotiations were held here during July 20-23.

“The discussions were constructive and forward-looking, with both sides undertaking detailed technical deliberations aimed at narrowing gaps and identifying areas of convergence,” the Commerce Ministry said. It added that India and Israel share complementarities across several sectors and the proposed FTA presents an opportunity to further enhance bilateral trade and deepen economic integration.

“During this round, technical experts from both sides held dedicated technical sessions covering areas including trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property rights, customs procedure and trade facilitation, economic cooperation and other chapters under the proposed agreement,” it said.

The statement added that both sides remain committed to working towards the early conclusion of a balanced, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA which will further expand trade and economic ties between the two countries. Total merchandise trade between the two countries stood at $3.93 billion in 2025-26.