New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): India and the UAE convened the third meeting of the Joint Committee under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in an official statement on Thursday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs of the UAE.

As per the ministry, both sides welcomed the strong growth in bilateral trade, which crossed USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024-25, marking a 19.6 per cent increase and reaffirming the UAE's position as one of India's key trading partners.

The India-UAE Joint Committee serves as the primary mechanism to review CEPA progress, address challenges, and oversee implementation.

During the meeting, the two sides conducted a detailed review of progress under CEPA and held discussions on market access issues, data sharing, allocation of Gold TRQ, anti-dumping matters, services, Rules of Origin, and BIS licensing.

The Indian side also briefed the UAE delegation about its recent decision to allocate Gold TRQ through a transparent competitive bidding process.

Both sides reviewed recent high-level engagements, including meetings between Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Dr. Thani in Mumbai and Dubai. They reaffirmed their commitment to expanding non-oil and non-precious metal trade towards the USD 100 billion target by 2030.

The discussions also covered regulatory cooperation in pharmaceuticals, resolution of issues related to Certificates of Origin, BIS coordination, and early signing of the MoU on Food Safety and Technical Requirements between APEDA, India, and the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MoCCAE).

The ministry stated that the meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to strengthen trade facilitation, regulatory collaboration, data sharing, and to convene the Services Subcommittee meeting soon.

The UAE delegation also met Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to discuss ways to enhance CEPA utilisation by both sides.

The ministry also stated that the visit of the UAE delegation shows the commitment of both countries to deepen the balance of trade, expand market opportunities, and further reinforce the strategic partnership under CEPA. (ANI)