AfCFTA launches Tunisia workshop to harmonize digital trade laws
Tunisia has become the latest African country to receive targeted support for implementing the continent’s ambitious digital trade framework. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat launched a five-day capacity-building workshop in Tunis on Monday, working alongside Tunisian government officials to align the country’s legal structures with continental standards for digital commerce. It’s part of a broader push to ensure member states can actually operationalize what looks good on paper. The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol was adopted in February 2024, creating a unified regulatory framework meant to govern everything from e-commerce to fintech across Africa’s 54 countries. But adoption and implementation are different things entirely, which is why these workshops matter.
China to speed up zero-tariff trade pact with Kenya
The Chinese government has vowed to speed up the implementation of the zero-tariff trade agreement with Kenya, during President William Ruto’s state visit in April 2025. In June, President Xi Jinping announced to expand zero-tariff treatment for 100% of tariff lines for 53 African countries with which China maintains diplomatic ties, including Kenya. China will work with Kenya to ensure the zero-tariff takes effect at an early date so our people can benefit sooner from our cooperation. The zero-tariff trade pact, once implemented, would allow all goods manufactured or produced in Kenya to be exported to China without duty. It will open the Chinese market to African goods.
EU: Rules for the suspension of tariff preferences in the GSP system for the years 2026-2028
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1909 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the suspension for the period 2026-2028 of certain tariff preferences granted to certain GSP beneficiary countries has been published. The suspension concerns specific sections of products from the countries listed in Annex II to Regulation 978/2012 that exceeded the established import thresholds into the European Union between 2021 and 2023. The regulation enters into force on the day of its publication and is valid from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, unless Regulation No 978/2012 expires earlier. The full list of the sections of products subject to the suspension can be found in the Annex to this Regulation. These rules are directly applicable in all EU Member States. Source: European Commission
EU and Indonesia conclude negotiations on free trade agreement
EU and Indonesia finalized negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA). The CEPA will significantly benefit European farmers, bringing down tariffs on agri-food products and protecting traditional EU products, as well as key industrial sectors, such as the automotive, chemicals, and machinery sectors. In all, EU exporters will save some €600 million a year in duties paid on their goods entering the Indonesian market, and European products will be more affordable and available to Indonesian consumers. The CEPA is also a major milestone for the EU and Indonesia to foster sustainable growth and the green transition. Furthermore, it is testimony to the EU and Indonesia's attachment to openness and to a rules-based system, creating a free trade zone of over 700 million consumers based on transparency and predictability.
EU proposes tariff reductions to implement EU-US deal
The European Commission is putting forward two proposals paving the way for the implementation of the EU-US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025. These proposals are the first steps in said implementation and ensure tariff relief by the US for the vital EU automotive sector starting retroactively from 1st of August. These steps contribute to restoring stability and predictability in EU-US trade and investment relations, to the benefit of business, workers and citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. The first act concerns a proposal to eliminate tariffs on US industrial goods and provide preferential market access for a range of US seafood and non-sensitive agricultural goods. The second one proposes to prolong the tariff-free treatment of lobster, now including processed lobster. The Commission will continue to engage with the US to lower tariffs, including in the context of negotiations on a future EU-US Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade.
Next steps
The Commission proposals constitute the necessary legislative step to enact the EU's tariff reductions set forth in Section 1 of the EU-US Joint Statement. The Parliament and Council will now have to approve the two proposals under the ordinary legislative procedure before the EU's tariff reductions can enter into force. In line with Section 3 of the EU-US Joint Statement, the US is expected to implement the agreed 15% US tariff ceiling to EU cars and car parts.
These tariff reductions from 27.5% to 15% are expected to be effective from the first day of the same month in which the European Union's legislative proposals are introduced, i.e. 1 August 2025. This will save car makers more than €500 million in duties that would have otherwise been paid for exports in one month only. The US also committed to zero or near to zero tariffs on certain product categories for which only the most-favoured nation (MFN) tariff will apply, starting on 1 September (unavailable natural resources, including cork, all aircraft and aircraft parts, generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients and chemical precursors). Both sides have agreed to work on expanding this list further.
India – European Free trade agreement (EFTA) with India enters into force on 1 October 6, 2025
The free trade agreement between the states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Republic of India will enter into force on 1 October. On 3 September, the Federal Council adopted the necessary amendments to the ordinances to implement the tariff concessions specified in the agreement. The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between the EFTA states and India increases legal certainty and predictability for bilateral economic exchanges. It also improves access to the Indian market for Swiss goods and services. India grants Switzerland improved market access for 94.7% of existing exports (2018-2023, excluding gold). These include pharmaceutical products, machinery, optical instruments, watches and processed agricultural products. Once the transition periods have expired, this will result in annual tariff savings of up to around CHF 167 million (based on existing trade). Source: Swiss Government
India–EU FTA: 14th round of trade talks to resume in Brussels on 06th October
India and the European Union (EU) will get back to the negotiating table in Brussels on Monday for the 14th round of talks on their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for the last-lap push to conclude it before the December 2025 deadline. Officials from both sides have held meetings almost every second month since the deadline was announced. The last round, the 13th since the negotiations began in July 2022, was held from September 8 to September 12. During that round the EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and the agriculture commissioner Christophe Hensen were also in New Delhi to guide the negotiations and break any deadlock that would have arisen.
India, US agree not to seek info on source code
Selling of products and services by US companies in India is likely to get easier with the two countries renegotiating a trade deal, with focus on facilitating digital trade. The two countries have agreed not to demand information concerning source code or other proprietary knowledge, and access to a particular technology, production process, etc, as a precondition for doing business in India. The US and India will further facilitate digital trade by refraining from adopting or maintaining measures that discriminate against digital services or products of the other party. So far, there is general agreement over not seeking proprietary knowledge, source code, access to a particular technology, production process, etc. The move will benefit sectors such as telecom, chemicals, electronics, and medical devices, among others. The US administration had earlier termed the mandatory testing protocols set by India as non-tariff barriers, negatively impacting sales of products by US companies. The government has put in a security mandate, which allows selling of only those Wi-Fi customer premises equipment (CPEs) and internet protocol (IP) routers that have got the security certification from the government.
India & Eurasia to launch FTA talks
India and the five-nation Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are set to start discussions for a free trade agreement from November. This forms part of the government’s efforts to fast-track an early-harvest FTA with EAEU in a bid to diversify markets for Indian exporters and harness natural resources from the region. The decision was taken during a meeting between commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal with the visiting minister in charge of trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The first round of talks will focus on the core aspects of the prospective agreement, setting the stage for detailed deliberations in subsequent phases. In August, India and the EAEU comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation signed the terms of reference to launch negotiations for FTA. With a combined GDP of $6.5 trillion, the proposed FTA is expected to expand market access for Indian exporters.
Japan and Bangladesh set to finalise economic partnership deal by year-end
Bangladesh is on the cusp of signing its first-ever Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan. a historic milestone that officials say will “open doors of possibilities” for trade, investment and industrial transformation as the country prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026. The Ministry of Commerce confirmed that negotiations concluded successfully during a 10-day round in Tokyo from September 3-12, marking the end of nearly a decade of talks that began with a joint feasibility study in 2015. With only internal procedural steps remaining, the agreement is expected to be formally signed before the end of 2025.
Switzerland: Federal Council launches approval of free trade agreement with Kosovo
On 3 September 2025, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the free trade agreement between the EFTA states and Kosovo. The dispatch will be referred to the Federal Assembly. Source: Swiss Government
Switzerland signs agreements with Denmark on carbon storage
On 3 September, Switzerland signed two agreements with Denmark that enable the export and permanent storage of Swiss CO2 in Denmark. They also serve as a basis for further cooperation in the field of negative emission technologies. Denmark is Switzerland's second partner country for carbon storage after Norway. The Federal Council approved the agreements between Switzerland and Denmark on 27 August. Source: Swiss Government
Thailand-Korea CEPA negotiations enter final stages
The 7th Official Negotiations for the Korea-Thailand CEPA was held in Seoul over four days until Sept. 25. The CEPA is a form of free trade agreement (FTA), with the two countries having initiated their first round of negotiations in July last year. Initially aiming for an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the agreement’s name was expanded to CEPA last month to reflect the comprehensive economic cooperation discussed during negotiations, including supply chains, SMEs, tourism, health, labor, and environment. Both sides plan to continue discussions in seven areas, including goods, services, investment, digital, and finance during this 7th round of official negotiations. Notably, the Korean side is requesting market opening for automobiles, steel, and home appliances, while Thailand is seeking access to wood and agricultural products markets, including particle board (PB), shrimp, and mangoes. Although the 2007 Korea-ASEAN FTA eliminated tariffs on many items exported to Thailand, some products such as automobiles, steel, and home appliances still face high tariffs. In particular, automobile tariffs remain at 40-64%, effectively minimizing export performance. According to the Korea International Trade Association, last year’s automobile exports to Thailand amounted to $43 million (approximately 59.9 billion won), accounting for only 0.5% of total exports ($7.678 billion). This contrasts sharply with the Thai electric passenger car market, where Chinese products benefiting from zero tariffs through FTAs, such as BYD, MG, Neta, and Dfsk, account for over 70% of the market share. The government aims to negotiate a reduction in automobile tariff rates to the level of Japan (20%), if not immediately to China’s level.
UAE - Australia trade agreement to come into effect
The Albanese Government is delivering on our ambitious trade diversification agenda through the entry into force of the landmark free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 1 October. This agreement builds on the Government’s commitment to create new market access opportunities. It means more trade opportunities for Australian businesses and more high-paying local jobs for Australian workers. When fully implemented, more than 99% of Australia’s exports will enter the UAE duty free - saving Australian farmers, miners, manufacturers and other exporters $185 million in its first year alone. The UAE is already Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East, with over $12.3 billion in two-way goods and services trade in 2024. Under this agreement, trade will accelerate, with independent modelling estimating an additional $678 million in Australian goods exports to enter the UAE annually. The agreement will help attract some of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world to Australia and will facilitate investment opportunities across the economy, including in renewable energy, digital infrastructure, agriculture and minerals.
US, Canada and Mexico kick off trade pact consultations
The US, Canada and Mexico are set to formally begin consultations ahead of the high-stakes review of their regional USMCA trade accord next year, the US and Mexico. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said an evaluation of the trade pact’s results over the past five years will take place between now and the end of the year to prepare for negotiations over a possible extension of the agreement in 2026. The Office of the US Trade Representative, which estimates that the USMCA covers nearly $2 trillion in US goods and services within the region, made a similar announcement in an official notice seeking public comment on the matter. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last month said his government would also hold industry consultations on the trade agreement this fall, though Canada’s process has not yet formally begun.