NEW DELHI: Starting Thursday, Australia is set to provide duty-free access to all Indian exports under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said Monday.“From Jan 1, 2026, 100% of Australian tariff lines will be zero-duty for Indian exports, unlocking fresh opportunities for labour-intensive sectors,” Goyal posted on his social media handle.The minister said over the past three years, ECTA has delivered sustained export growth, deeper market access, and stronger supply-chain resilience, benefiting Indian exporters, MSMEs, farmers and workers alike as India’s exports to Australia grew by 8% in 2024-25, helping improve India’s trade balance.“Strong gains were witnessed across manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, plastics, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, and gems & jewellery with gems & jewellery exports rising 16% in April-Nov 2025. Agri-exports recorded broad-based growth, with sharp increases in fruits and vegetables, marine products, spices, and exceptional growth in coffee,” the minister said.The ECTA, which came into force on Dec 29, 2022, aims to deepen trade and investment ties between India and Australia by progressively eliminating tariffs, simplifying market access, and supporting supply chain integration at a time when India is increasingly seeking to diversify export destinations after trade ties with the US strained in recent months.The minister further added that as both sides remain engaged in negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), ECTA continues to anchor India’s economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
