Global trade is increasingly being used as a tool through tariffs, requiring careful negotiation and domestic safeguards.
Global trade is increasingly characterised by the deliberate use of tariffs and related measures as instruments of economic coercion, termed tariff weaponisation. India employs safeguard measures to protect domestic industries from predatory import surges and must navigate evolving multilateral and bilateral negotiations carefully, leveraging overall economic strength while responding to the normalization of tariff-based instruments.

India-Oman CEPA aims to remove tariffs and barriers to boost bilateral trade, investment and economic diversification.
The impending Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman is expected to remove customs duties and trade barriers to expand market access, scale long term commercial commitments, diversify supply chains, and position Oman as a gateway to West and African markets while advancing Oman's Vision 2040 targets across agriculture, IT, tourism, mining and logistics.

India-Israel Free Trade Agreement negotiations expected to conclude early, aiming to boost bilateral investment and innovation ties.
Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement were discussed with confidence in an early conclusion to strengthen bilateral economic ties by advancing investment and innovation cooperation, expediting the FTA process to boost market access and catalyse cross-border investment flows while reaffirming the Strategic Partnership and support for regional peace.

China imposes anti-dumping tariffs on EU pork, up to 19.8%, across all pork product categories for five years.
China imposed anti-dumping duties on EU pork and pig by-products, finding dumping and injury to its domestic industry. Final ad valorem tariffs range from 4.9% to 19.8%, replacing earlier preliminary security-deposit rates that reached up to 62.4% for non-cooperating exporters. The measure covers all pork product forms and differentiates treatment based on exporter cooperation; it will take effect for five years and identifies Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark as most affected.

VinFast leverages Vingroup's real estate, energy, tech, financing, and charging network to scale EV adoption globally.
Vingroup advances VinFast's rapid EV scale-up by integrating cross-sector assets-real estate for site control, technology platforms for product development, renewables for lower-emission power, and a global charging network-supplemented by policy support such as vehicles being exempt from registration fees until 2027. In export markets like India, the model layers local manufacturing capacity, dealership rollout, retail and inventory financing, coordinated after-sales service, and battery recycling to lower adoption barriers and replicate a vertically integrated mobility ecosystem rather than isolated vehicle sales.

EU-Mercosur trade deal faces farmer opposition and member-state delay over agricultural protections, threatening planned signing and ratification.
The EU-Mercosur agreement would phase out duties over 15 years but requires unanimous approval by all 27 EU member states and the European Parliament to be signed. Facing farmer and member-state opposition that imports could undercut products under stricter EU sanitary, pesticide and labor standards, the Commission proposed safeguards: a 10% import-price trigger enabling investigations and temporary tariff withdrawal, enhanced border inspections for banned pesticides, and measures to streamline regulation and redistribute agricultural subsidies.

India's exports rose 19.37% in November, narrowing the trade deficit to USD 24.53 billion, driven by engineering and electronics.
India's merchandise exports rose 19.37% to USD 38.13 billion in November as imports fell 1.88% to USD 62.66 billion, narrowing the trade deficit to USD 24.53 billion. The improvement was driven by engineering and electronics shipments and lower imports of gold and crude, offsetting October losses linked to 50% tariffs imposed by the United States.

India-US trade: exports rose 22.6% to USD 7bn in November despite 50% tariffs on Indian goods.
India's merchandise exports to the United States rose 22.61% to USD 6.98 billion in November despite a 50% tariff on Indian goods; April-November exports to the US increased 11.38% to USD 59.04 billion while imports rose 13.49% to USD 35.4 billion. Officials cite exporters maintaining supply chains and ongoing bilateral trade negotiations as factors in the rebound, but note the tariff differential versus competitors remains a challenge. Trade with other partners showed mixed results, with a sharp rise in exports to China led by electronics and engineering goods and varied import trends across other partner countries.

India trade: April-Nov exports up 5.43% to US$562.13bn; imports up 5% to US$651.13bn, widening deficit.
India's combined merchandise and services exports for April-November 2025 are estimated at US$ 562.13 billion (5.43% growth) and combined imports at US$ 651.13 billion (5.0% growth), producing a widened negative trade balance. Merchandise exports were US$ 292.07 billion and merchandise imports US$ 515.21 billion, generating a merchandise trade deficit of US$ 223.13 billion. Services exports are estimated at US$ 270.06 billion for April-November 2025 with a services trade surplus.

Marijuana seizure: 22.04 kg hydroponic cannabis seized from checked baggage; three arrested under NDPS provisions.
Seizure of 22.04 kg hydroponic marijuana from checked baggage of three arriving passengers led to their arrest and registration of a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, with ongoing investigation into concealment, chain of custody, and supply links.

Engineering exports rise 23.7% despite 50% punitive tariff; industry eyes trade deals and Export Promotion Mission.
Engineering goods exports rose 23.7% in November to about USD 11.01 billion, producing cumulative April-November growth of 4.25% to USD 79.74 billion. The rebound is attributed to industry resilience and government support despite the continuing impact of a 50 per cent punitive tariff on a large part of India's export basket; exporters are seeking market diversification via trade agreements and await final guidelines for the Rs 25,060-crore Export Promotion Mission.

India exports rebound 19.37%, led by engineering and electronics despite large tariffs; trade deficit narrows.
India's merchandise exports rose 19.37% to USD 38.13 billion in November, led by engineering and electronics, while imports fell 1.88% to USD 62.66 billion, narrowing the trade deficit to USD 24.53 billion. The ministry is finalising guidelines for a Rs 25,060-crore export promotion mission to provide liquidity and targeted support to exporters amid the pressure of large foreign tariff measures.

Airfares: government strengthens DGCA tariff monitoring, expands price caps and boosts AirSewa complaint redressal mechanisms.
The government is strengthening the DGCA's tariff monitoring unit to monitor more domestic and international routes and prevent opportunistic pricing in a deregulated market, using measures including temporary price caps when capacity constraints cause fare spikes. Concurrently, the ministry monitors the AirSewa grievance redressal mechanism-adding an "Air Fare" complaint category-and reports high complaint redressal rates while identifying flight delays, refunds and baggage delivery as persistent focus concerns.

China's top 100 private firms show embedded global operations, manufacturing dominance, strong R&D and high ESG integration.
The 2025 Top 100 Most International Privately Owned Enterprises ranking identifies firms whose global presence is embedded across operations, organization, innovation and influence, reporting RMB 3.98 trillion overseas revenue (33.3% of total), average presence in 18 countries, dominance of manufacturing (84 firms), RMB 456 billion in collective R&D, 60,935 patents, and an average ESG score of 80.65, signaling a shift from export driven activity to integrated market participation through localized production, overseas subsidiaries and innovation led competitiveness.

India proposes a PTA with Mexico to secure tariff concessions after Mexico raised MFN duties on many imports.
Mexico raised MFN import tariffs to 5-50% on about 1,455 tariff lines within WTO bounds to support local production and curb certain imports. India has proposed negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement as a faster, WTO compatible route than an FTA to secure targeted tariff concessions for Indian supply chains and to offer reciprocal concessions on items of Mexican export interest; technical talks are underway and stakeholder engagement is ongoing.

India's exports surged and imports fell in November, narrowing the trade deficit to a five-month low.
India's merchandise exports rose 19.37% to USD 38.13 billion in November while imports fell 1.88% to USD 62.66 billion, narrowing the trade deficit to USD 24.53 billion for the month and leaving a cumulative April-November deficit of USD 223.14 billion.

Trade agreement sets Japan-US tariffs at 15% and a USD 550bn investment pledge; BOJ weighs a 0.25% rate rise.
A bilateral trade agreement set tariffs on Japanese exports to the United States at 15 per cent and required Japan to invest USD 550 billion in the United States. The Bank of Japan, noting improved business sentiment and inflation above target, is considering a 0.25 percentage point benchmark interest-rate increase to address inflation and currency weakness.

India exports rose 19.37% to $38.13bn in November; imports fell 1.88%, yielding a $24.53bn monthly trade deficit.
India's merchandise exports rose 19.37% to USD 38.13 billion in November and imports fell 1.88% to USD 62.66 billion, resulting in a monthly trade deficit of USD 24.53 billion. November exports are reported as the highest in ten years and said to offset October losses. Cumulatively for April-November, exports increased 2.62% to USD 292.07 billion and imports rose 5.59% to USD 515.21 billion.

Red sanders smuggling thwarted; 15 MT seized and four arrested; goods seized under Customs Act.
Intelligence-led searches in Chennai recovered 15 MT of restricted red sanders prepared for illicit export and concealed under cover cargo; the offending and cover goods were seized under the Customs Act, 1962, and four suspects were arrested while investigations under customs and wildlife protection frameworks continue.

Airport charges dispute: airline body challenges tribunal's enlarged HRAB computation as exceeding remand and raising tariffs.
The Federation of Indian Airlines challenges the tribunal's July order for exceeding a narrow remand by treating an internal MoCA letter as binding, reopening issues authoritatively settled by the apex court, and substituting AERA's HRAB of Rs 966 crores with an inflated Rs 4,848 crores; the petition raises questions on the binding effect of internal correspondence, sanctity of prior regulatory determinations, limits of remand jurisdiction, and the permissible interference with regulatory expertise.