India-UAE CEPA information hub goes live

• The webpage provides detailed information on UAE businesses’ access to Indian markets under the CEPA regulations

• Team of experts appointed to respond to the inquiries of the private sector and investors about CEPA and its trade remedies

 The Ministry of Economy launched a new webpage for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India, which was signed by the two countries' leadership in February 2022 and will come into effect as of May 1, 2022.The e-platform provides UAE companies and investors who wish to capitalize on the benefits provided by the Agreement with access to all information related to the historic agreement, which has ushered in a new era of economic and trade cooperation between the two friendly countries.

H.E. Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of International Trade Affairs said. “The webpage provides all the necessary resources and relevant information to private sector stakeholders and companies in the UAE who are interested in enhancing their businesses and investment in India. It also gives them an overview of the trade and investment opportunities and features of this historic agreement.”

“This comprehensive knowledge base enhances the access of exporters, suppliers, investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and talents to new opportunities under the scope of this Agreement, thereby strengthening their ability to develop specific expansion strategies focused on the Indian market,” he added.

The portal provides detailed information on all 18 chapters of the CEPA and lists simple steps that companies in the UAE can adopt to forge or expand their business relationship with the Indian market. In addition, it provides comprehensive and clear details for each sector including tariff structures, rules of origin, differential treatment, customs procedures, digital trade, and SMEs, which will help entrepreneurs identify the rules and tariffs applicable to their businesses and product as well as the certificates that must be obtained to enter the Indian market under the new regulations. Those interested in the platform's services can access it via the link: https://www.moec.gov.ae/en/cepa

The Ministry of Economy’s launch of this webpage is part of its plan to operationalize the UAE-India CEPA, with the aim of providing the private sector with the tools, knowledge, and information it needs to deepen trade relations with India, which is the world's fifth largest economy. These efforts will help increase the volume of UAE-India non-oil trade to USD 100 billion a year within next five years.

A team of experts have also been appointed to respond to private sector’s and investor inquiries about CEPA and clarify its clauses, as well as to inform companies of several trade remedies contained in the Agreement. These include a number of experts from the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Chambers and The Department of Economy and Tourism.

In the coming phase, the UAE Ministry of Economy will meet with state-owned enterprises, family business conglomerates and large multinational companies to help them understand the details of the tariff reduction and removal – which covers 80% of products. Workshops will also be conducted to ensure every startup and corporation knows what to do to unlock the enormous opportunities presented by the CEPA.