Minister Heydon welcomes outcome of EU-India Trade Agreement
- Published on: 28 January 2026
- Last updated on: 28 January 2026
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has welcomed the announcement that the EU and India have concluded negotiations on a new free trade agreement (FTA).
Reacting to this announcement, Minister Heydon said:
“The agreement reached between the EU and India is a positive one for the Irish agri-food sector. It provides significant opportunities for our spirit drinks exports – particularly for Irish whiskey in what is both the world’s largest whiskey market and the fastest growing market for our whiskey exports.”
Currently, exports of Irish whiskey to India are subject to import tariffs of 150%. The Agreement reached between the EU and India will see future tariff reduction to 40% over a phased period. The Agreement also sees tariff reductions for other agri-food exports, such as processed foods (e.g. chocolate), sheepmeat and beer. Sensitive EU agricultural sectors are protected under the Agreement, with several products excluded from tariff liberalisation.
Minister Heydon added:
“I have always been clear that EU trade agreements must defend our most vulnerable sectors. In that context, I note from this announcement that the EU’s most sensitive sectors, including our beef and poultry sectors, have been protected from tariff liberalisation in the agreement.”
The Commission will proceed to publish the draft texts shortly, after which they will undergo legal scrutiny and translation into all official EU languages.
Notes to editor
In 2024, Irish agri-food exports to India totalled €40.5 million – almost double the value of exports in 2023 (€21.9 million). This is predominantly led by exports of Irish whiskey (€30.3 million in 2024), with some additional exports under animal feed (€2.4 million) and dairy (€2.2 million).
Irish agri-food imports from India in 2024 totalled €77.9 million. Leading imports fall under the categories of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices (€17.7 million), crude animal and vegetable material (€11.9 million) and fish products (€11.2 million).