Section 301 investigations target foreign industrial policies, enabling potential retaliatory trade measures after public review and hearings.
Section 301 investigations have been initiated to determine whether the industrial policies and practices of certain trading partners are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden US commerce, focusing on sectors such as steel, autos, batteries, electronics, chemicals, machinery, semiconductors and solar modules; the process includes public submissions, hearings and consultations, and may lead to retaliatory trade measures tied to identified practices such as state subsidies, state-owned enterprise activity, market-access barriers, currency practices or suppressed domestic demand.

Energy supply diversification: India shifts toward Russian crude to offset Strait of Hormuz disruptions and protect fuel flows.
India increased Russian crude imports to offset shipments halted through the Strait of Hormuz, reducing the immediate shortfall from Middle Eastern supplies while maintaining refined product availability. The Strait of Hormuz is identified as a critical chokepoint for crude, LPG and LNG; mitigation measures include supplier diversification, enhanced Russian flows, and refinery adjustments to maximise LPG recovery, though such optimisations yield only marginal increases and leave a significant import dependency.

LPG supply assurance: household supplies prioritized, measures to prevent hoarding and secure alternate imports and maintain continuity.
The government affirms domestic LPG stocks and diversified procurement are sufficient to meet household cooking needs despite Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Refinery adjustments have boosted domestic LPG output and LNG cargoes have been secured; imports have been rerouted. Measures prioritise household distribution, curtail non-domestic deliveries, adjust pricing and refill intervals, and establish a committee to allocate commercial supplies. State and central authorities are directed to prevent hoarding and coordinate to maintain energy security and uninterrupted essential supplies.

Trade agreements expand market access while preserving domestic safeguards and promoting value-added food exports through targeted support.
India's export expansion strategy combines preferential market access through recently concluded Free Trade Agreements with calibrated domestic safeguards for farmers, fishermen and MSMEs - excluding concessions in sensitive sectors (notably dairy, certain cereals and pulses) and denying duty concessions or market access for genetically modified products - while promoting value addition via the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and export handholding through the Export Promotion Mission and DGFT to integrate businesses into global value chains.

Free Trade Agreements enabling preferential market access for Indian agricultural and processed food exports through standards and research.
The press release highlights that expanding Free Trade Agreements are enabling preferential market access for Indian agricultural and processed food exports and that APEDA, at AAHAR 2026, released research reports on key crops and launched packaging design solutions and technical standards with the Indian Institute of Packaging aimed at improving protection, shelf life and market presentation for region-specific, GI-tagged and organic products to support export competitiveness.

Food safety standards underpin promotion of European flour in India, enabling market access and traceable supply chains.
Promotion of premium Italian soft wheat flour in India emphasises compliance with food safety regulations, full traceability and sustainability commitments as the core regulatory assurances supporting market entry and commercial outreach. The campaign presents European milling quality controls - careful wheat selection, computerised traceability, and independent accredited laboratory testing - as operative mechanisms ensuring conformity with EU standards and as commercial assurances to Indian buyers.

UK-India free trade agreement expands market access for UK food and drink exporters, boosting trade engagement at AAHAR.
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement is positioned to enhance market access for UK food and drink exporters by reducing barriers and facilitating faster, cheaper trade. The UK Government, via the British High Commission and the GREAT campaign, is deploying a trade delegation and a UK Pavilion at AAHAR 2026 to translate improved market access into direct commercial engagement with Indian importers, distributors, modern retail and HoReCa operators, emphasising quality, safety and provenance to support long-term trade partnerships.

Temporary waiver for purchase of sanctioned oil allows diversion and refining of en route cargoes to ease supply shortages.
The United States authorised a temporary waiver allowing Indian refiners to accept Russian-origin crude already at sea to address immediate energy supply disruptions amid the Iran-related conflict. The waiver is narrowly targeted to existing cargoes, framed as a short-term operational authorisation to divert, refine and rapidly release oil into markets to blunt price spikes, while officials maintain it does not signify a change in broader policy toward Russia.

UK-India Free Trade Agreement drives West Midlands mission to secure partnerships in clean energy, technology, education and creative industries.
The West Midlands Mayoral-led trade mission to India sought to operationalise the UK-India Free Trade Agreement by securing research and industry alliances, academic partnerships and commercial engagements across clean energy, technology, manufacturing, creative industries and tourism, including a University of Warwick-Tata Power alliance, Aston University and Birmingham City University agreements, and plans for a joint taskforce with the State of Gujarat to formalise sectoral growth collaboration.

Pipeline supply agreement enables emergency diesel deliveries to address national fuel shortage and bolster bilateral energy cooperation.
A cross-border supply framework permits direct transport of diesel from India to Bangladesh via the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline under an existing supply agreement providing for an annual allocation and optional additional quantities; recent bilateral negotiations seek to operationalise supplementary deliveries to address an acute domestic fuel shortfall while using the pipeline's capacity to reduce transport time and costs.

Beneficial ownership threshold from land-border countries eased, permitting limited non-controlling stakes under the automatic route with reporting.
The amendment permits non controlling investors from land border countries to invest under the automatic route where their beneficial ownership at the investor entity level does not exceed a defined threshold, while retaining sectoral caps, entry routes and attendant conditions. Such investments must be reported to the DPIIT. An expedited 60 day processing track is established for specified manufacturing sectors, conditional on majority shareholding and control of the investee remaining with resident Indian citizens or resident Indian entities owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens.

LPG supply prioritisation: committee to allocate commercial gas based on genuine need, availability and essential service priority.
The government has prioritised household LPG supplies and constituted a three member committee of Executive Directors of Oil Marketing Companies to review representations from hotels, restaurants and other commercial users and allocate commercial LPG based on genuine need, product availability and merits of each case. Measures include directing refineries to increase LPG output and extending the refill booking cycle to discourage hoarding, while essential non domestic sectors will receive prioritised non domestic supplies subject to import constraints and production capacity.

Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement opens high income markets and investment pathways, enabling technology transfer and jobs.
The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and EFTA implements preferential market access and capability building measures, with EFTA commitments covering 92.2% of tariff lines and India covering 82.7%, while protecting sensitive sectors. TEPA couples tariff concessions for key Indian export sectors with improved access to specialised inputs and machinery from EFTA, includes an investment facilitation element linked to industrial and technology collaboration, and provides frameworks for services cooperation and Mutual Recognition Agreements to support mobility of professionals.

FDI norms eased for countries sharing land borders, relaxing prior mandatory approval requirements for foreign investments.
The government amended Press Note 3 of 2020 to ease FDI rules for companies from countries sharing a land border with India by relaxing the prior requirement for mandatory government approval of investments by foreign companies with shareholders from those countries, thereby altering the investment screening and approval framework for such entrants.

Free trade agreements expand preferential market access while protecting sensitive agricultural sectors and supporting export competitiveness.
India seeks to expand agricultural and processed food exports through recently concluded FTAs that grant preferential market access while explicitly protecting sensitive domestic sectors such as dairy and GM products and shielding key staples from import exposure. Complementary measures include promoting the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund for food processing and value addition, and providing exporter support via the Export Promotion Mission and DGFT to integrate Indian firms into global value chains.

Trade tariff rollback boosts Chinese export resilience despite weaker US demand and geopolitical energy risks.
China's exports rose sharply in January-February driven by semiconductors, autos and electronics, with broader regional demand offsetting reduced shipments to the United States. A recent judicial ruling lowered US tariffs and, together with a potential extension of the October trade truce, has eased import barriers that supported export growth. Risks to export competitiveness include a slowing domestic economy, property-sector weakness and geopolitical energy disruptions that could curb global demand.

Insurance support for exporters to address shipping and insurance disruptions amid West Asia crisis, government seeks coordinated measures.
The government has issued Customs norms for export cargo returning to Indian ports and is developing insurance support schemes, consulting the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation and other departments to assist exporters whose goods have been shipped but face logistical and insurance problems, while an inter-ministerial group monitors developments and engages regularly with exporters.

B2B platform expands India's food export access by linking producers, processors and MSMEs to global buyers and technology partners.
AAHAR 2026 operates as a structured B2B platform to convert India's agricultural and processing scale into global market access by enabling commercial matchmaking, export partnerships, technology transfer and investment linkages. The exhibition prioritises business outcomes-especially for MSMEs-through dedicated pavilions and buyer-seller interactions that translate government support and technological solutions into export orders, value addition and integration into international supply chains while emphasising sustainability across the food value chain.

IP approval speed and transparency urged to position India's IP regime among global leaders with greater access for startups and women.
India aims to make its intellectual property approval system globally competitive by enhancing speed, transparency and efficiency through recruitment, technology upgrades and backlog reduction; it proposes fast track mechanisms and substantial fee concessions to improve access for startups, women entrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises while strengthening the broader innovation ecosystem via school innovation labs, incubation models and stakeholder engagement.

Free Trade Agreements expand market access for pharmaceutical, healthcare and medtech sectors, requiring industry uptake and integrated healthcare ecosystems.
Free Trade Agreements create preferential market access for pharmaceuticals, healthcare and medtech, benefitting farmers, MSMEs and innovators but requiring active industry utilisation. Policy measures needed include building an integrated healthcare ecosystem linking manufacturing, innovation and hospitals; MSME quality upgradation and testing; skills development for caregivers and nurses to support exports; and adoption of digital health and AI for telemedicine and diagnostics.