The United States’ chief trade negotiator has said that India is poised to be the biggest gainer from its newly concluded trade agreement with the European Union, arguing that the terms of the pact significantly favour New Delhi by granting broader access to European markets and potentially improving mobility opportunities for Indian workers across the continent.
Commenting on the agreement after India and the European Union finalised the deal, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the arrangement appeared to tilt clearly in India’s favour. Speaking in an interview with Fox Business, Greer remarked that India would “come out on top” and predicted that New Delhi would enjoy substantial economic gains once the agreement is fully implemented.
Greer said he had reviewed several elements of the deal and believed that India stood to benefit disproportionately. He noted that the agreement would provide Indian exporters with significantly expanded access to European markets, a development he said would give India a strong competitive advantage in trade with the bloc.
Referring to provisions that may go beyond goods and tariffs, the US trade chief also suggested that the agreement could include enhanced mobility arrangements. He pointed to remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on facilitating mobility for Indian workers in Europe, adding that while he could not confirm the exact details, such measures would further strengthen India’s position under the deal.
India and the European Union formally sealed the Free Trade Agreement on Tuesday, describing it as the “mother of all deals.” The pact creates a combined market of nearly two billion people and sets out an ambitious five-year roadmap focused on deepening cooperation in trade and defence, while reinforcing a rules-based global economic order. Once implemented, the agreement will eliminate tariffs on 99 percent of Indian exports to the EU and reduce or remove duties on more than 97 percent of European exports to India, together accounting for nearly a quarter of global GDP.
Despite acknowledging India’s gains, Greer appeared to play down the broader strategic impact of the deal. He suggested that shifting global trade dynamics have pushed the European Union to seek alternative markets as the United States moves toward more inward-looking trade policies and prioritises domestic manufacturing.
According to Greer, under President’s approach, the US has effectively begun charging other countries a premium to access its market, prompting export-driven economies to look elsewhere. In that context, he argued, the EU is turning to India as a destination for its excess production, given how heavily Europe depends on trade for economic growth.
Greer further said that the agreement would give India a strong foothold in Europe, supported by its large, low-cost labour force. In contrast, he suggested that the European Union appears to be “doubling down on globalisation,” even as the United States adopts a more protectionist posture, a divergence that he believes will work to India’s advantage under the new trade framework.
