India FTA countries: where Indian exporters get zero or reduced import duty
Written for Indian MSME manufacturers and exporters choosing where to sell.
India has free trade agreements (FTAs) with a set of countries that let Indian exporters pay a lower, and often zero, import duty than the standard MFN rate. The biggest for MSME exporters are the UAE (India-UAE CEPA), Australia (India-Australia ECTA), the UK (India-UK CETA, in force since 15 July 2026), the EFTA bloc (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Japan and South Korea (CEPA), Singapore (CECA), and the ASEAN bloc. To actually claim the lower duty, your buyer needs a Certificate of Origin proving the goods are made in India. Below: the country list, how the Certificate of Origin works, and how to pick the FTA corridor where your product wins.
India's major free trade agreements
United Arab Emirates
Duty-free or preferential access on over 90% of tariff lines. India's fastest-growing export corridor and the usual first market for a CEPA advantage.
Oman
Removes duty on around 98% of Oman's tariff lines, opening a second major Gulf gateway alongside the UAE. A strong secondary Middle East market for Indian MSME exporters.
Australia
Preferential or zero duty on most Indian goods lines, including textiles, leather, footwear, engineering and pharma.
United Kingdom
Now live: zero-duty access on 99% of Indian exports. A major structural tailwind for apparel, leather, marine products and engineering exporters.
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Preferential access across the EFTA bloc as tariff commitments take effect.
Japan
Preferential duty on a wide range of Indian industrial and agri goods.
South Korea
Preferential or zero duty across many engineering, chemical and textile lines.
Singapore
Broad preferential access; Singapore is also a re-export gateway into wider Asia.
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the rest of ASEAN
Preferential duty across the ASEAN bloc on a large share of tariff lines.
India also has agreements with Sri Lanka, Mauritius (CECPA), Malaysia (CECA), Chile (PTA) and across South Asia (SAFTA). Coverage, phase-in schedules and exclusion lists differ by product; the exact preferential rate for your HS code is shown in your free report.
The Certificate of Origin: how you claim the lower duty
An FTA rate is not automatic. To pay the preferential duty instead of the full MFN rate, your buyer has to prove the goods are of Indian origin, and that proof is the Certificate of Origin (CoO). For FTA shipments you need a Preferential Certificate of Origin, issued through the Government of India's common digital CoO platform by authorised agencies. Without it, the importer pays the standard MFN duty even where an agreement exists, so lining up the CoO is one of the first things to do before you quote an FTA price advantage.
One catch worth knowing early, the Rules of Origin: a preferential CoO is only valid if your product meets the agreement's local-content test, usually a minimum domestic value addition (often around 35 to 40 percent, and it varies by agreement and product). Goods that are only lightly assembled or repackaged in India may not qualify. It is worth checking your product clears the origin rule before you build a price around the FTA rate.
The practical takeaway: the duty saving is real, but it only turns into a price advantage if the paperwork is right. That is part of what a research-led approach handles for you, so the corridor you pick is one you can actually win.
How to pick the FTA corridor where your product wins
An FTA is only an advantage where three things line up: real, growing demand for your product, a meaningful gap between the MFN and preferential duty, and a competitive position for Indian supply. A zero-duty market with no demand is worthless; a high-demand market where you still pay full MFN may not be worth the fight. The job is to find the corridor where all three are true.
That is exactly what diipl does: it ranks your product's markets on demand, MFN duty and FTA advantage together, generates verified buyers in the market you choose, and factors the duty saving into every match. See the import duty by product and country reference, or start with the free market research report for your exact product.
India FTAs and preferential duty, answered
Which countries does India have a free trade agreement with?
India's main comprehensive agreements cover the UAE (CEPA), Australia (ECTA), the UK (CETA, in force since 15 July 2026), the EFTA bloc of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (TEPA), Japan and South Korea (CEPA), Singapore (CECA), and the ASEAN bloc (AITIGA). There is also a newer CEPA with Oman, a second Gulf gateway alongside the UAE, plus agreements with Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Chile and the wider South Asia (SAFTA) region. Under each, many Indian products move at a preferential import duty lower than the standard MFN rate.
Does an FTA mean zero import duty on my product?
Not automatically. An FTA sets a preferential duty per product that is lower than the standard MFN rate, and for many lines it is zero, but the exact rate depends on your HS code and the specific agreement, and some products are on exclusion or phase-in lists. You also must prove Indian origin with a Certificate of Origin to claim it. diipl shows the exact preferential rate for your product and market in a free market research report.
What is a Certificate of Origin and how do I get one for export?
A Certificate of Origin (CoO) is the document that proves your goods are made in India, which is what lets your buyer claim the FTA preferential duty. For FTA shipments you need a Preferential CoO, issued through the Government of India's common digital platform (the CoO portal) by authorised agencies. Without it, the importer pays the full MFN rate even where an FTA exists. It is one of the first things to line up before you quote an FTA advantage.
How do I use an FTA to lower my export duty and win the order?
Pick the market where your product has both real demand and an FTA advantage, confirm the preferential rate for your HS code, arrange the Certificate of Origin, and use the landed-cost saving as a price advantage in your pitch. diipl builds exactly this into your export growth strategy: it identifies the FTA corridors where you win, generates verified buyers there, and factors the duty saving into every match.
Which India FTA is best for my product?
It depends on where your product has demand, what MFN duty it faces, and which agreement gives the biggest cut. For many MSME exporters the UAE (CEPA) and Australia (ECTA) corridors are the quickest wins, and the UK (CETA) is now live since 15 July 2026 with zero duty on the vast majority of Indian exports. Your free market research report ranks your product's markets on demand, MFN duty and FTA advantage together, so you commit outreach where the maths works.
See the FTA advantage for your product
Your free market research report shows the MFN and preferential duty for your exact product in every target market, and diipl generates the verified buyers where your product wins.