CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on January 27, 2026

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) opposes the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed today. This agreement represents a wholesale surrender of India’s economic interests to the European Union.

Under the terms of the deal, India will eliminate or drastically reduce tariffs on over 90 per cent of goods imported from the EU. These include automobiles (reduced from 110 to 40 per cent), iron and steel (22 to 0 per cent), pharmaceuticals (11 to 0 per cent), wines and spirits (150 to 40 per cent), processed foods (50 to 0 per cent), and sheep meat (33 to 0 per cent). Due to such steep tariff reductions, India’s automobile, pharmaceutical, and machinery industries will be severely and adversely affected. The EU itself projects its exports to India to grow by 107.6 per cent within a few years. It will adversely affect employment as the imports in automobile, electrical machinery etc., will have an impact.

The reduced cost of cars and wines will only benefit the affluent, while the tariff cuts will wreck the livelihoods of workers, farmers, and common people.

Furthermore, the FTA aims to strengthen the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which designates the port of Haifa in Israel as a key transit point. At a time when the world is demanding Israel be declared an apartheid state and face sanctions for its genocidal aggression in Gaza, the Indian government is choosing to deepen ties with Israel through this FTA. This is deplorable and should not be allowed.

The BJP-led Union government has consistently sacrificed the interests of Indian farmers and workers in all its FTA negotiations. The CPI(M) demands that the government place the full text of the India-EU FTA before the upcoming budget session of Parliament and ensure a thorough discussion. All anti-people FTAs signed by this government must be rescinded, and the interests of farmers, workers and the people must be protected.