April19 , 2026

    India-Oman FTA delayed over Omani procedural clearances, not disputes, says official

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    The signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Oman has been delayed due to procedural formalities on the Omani side, and not because of any outstanding issues or disagreements between the two countries, a government official said. Negotiations for the pact were concluded several months ago.

    Negotiations for the trade deal, termed as the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) began in November 2023 and were completed in August 2025. Both sides have conducted five rounds of in-person talks, with the last one held in New Delhi in January.

    According to the official, the trade deal is also awaiting a green signal from the Majlis al-Shura, or the lower house of the Council of Oman, which serves as a consultative and legislative body.

    “There are no outstanding issues, it is all procedural. They took a lot of time drafting a cabinet note in Arabic. India is more straightforward in terms of procedures; we only require a cabinet approval. They have their own ministries looking at it and they have sort of a group of ministers, sort of a mini cabinet who look at it, then their cabinet looks at it, then their lower house is looking at it. So, it is a longer process,” the official explained.

    In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada had informed in August that the India-Oman CEPA negotiations have been concluded.

    Infact, last month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at an event had said that the announcement for the proposed trade deal with Oman could happen within weeks.

    Attempts to broker a trade deal with a second Gulf nation follows India’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with UAE, signed on February 18, 2022 and entered into force from May 1, 2022.

    Total trade between India and Oman stood at $10.61 billion in 2024-25, a growth of 18.6 percent on-year.

    India imported goods worth $6.55 billion from Oman, while exports to the Gulf nation stood at $4.07 billion, leading to a trade deficit of $2.48 billion in the previous financial year.

    Around 80 percent of Indian goods are subject to an average import duty of 5 percent in Oman. The Gulf nation’s import duties range from zero to 100 percent, with steeper tariffs on specific items such as meats, wines, and tobacco products.

    A free trade agreement between the two sides is expected to boost India’s labour-intensive exports to Oman such as textiles, gems and jewellery, and leather products, which are currently facing steeper tariffs in the US.

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