India and the European Union will commence their tenth round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement in Brussels. Key issues such as agricultural tariffs, auto import duties, and regulatory barriers will be the focus,

Its their first commitment to a deadline on talks that have been going for years, as they look to soften the effect of tariff increases from the US.

In agriculture, the EU is pushing for India to cut tariffs on cheese and skimmed milk powder while it imposes high duties and very tough standards. Even if tariffs are reduced, the EU’s regulatory framework will remain a major hurdle for Indian farmers and food producers.

India-EU FTA talks are expected to focus on resolving remaining issues so that the agreement can be finalised by the end of this year.

Piyush Goyal, India’s commerce minister, was in Washington last week for discussions on a bilateral trade agreement meant to fend off Trump’s threat last month of reciprocal tariffs. While Indian officials say discussions are “advancing”,

US President Donald Trump’s threats to hike tariffs isn’t all bad news for India’s economy since it’s driving the government to lower trade barriers, which will spur competition and growth.