UAE’s Ministry of Economy has launched a new webpage providing an e-platform for UAE firms and investors on the benefits offered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) between UAE and India. 

 

Cepa was signed by the two countries' leadership in February 2022 and will come into effect as of May 1, 2022.

 

The page provides access to all information related to the historic agreement, which has ushered in a new era of economic and trade cooperation between the two friendly countries. 

 

Trade and investment opportunities

Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of International Trade Affairs said. “The webpage provides all the necessary resources and relevant information to private sector stakeholders and companies in the UAE who are interested in enhancing their businesses and investment in India. It also gives them an overview of the trade and investment opportunities and features of this historic agreement.”

 

“This comprehensive knowledge base enhances the access of exporters, suppliers, investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and talents to new opportunities under the scope of this Agreement, thereby strengthening their ability to develop specific expansion strategies focused on the Indian market,” he added.

 

The portal provides detailed information on all 18 chapters of the Cepa and lists simple steps that companies in the UAE can adopt to forge or expand their business relationship with the Indian market. In addition, it provides comprehensive and clear details for each sector including tariff structures, rules of origin, differential treatment, customs procedures, digital trade, and SMEs, which will help entrepreneurs identify the rules and tariffs applicable to their businesses and product as well as the certificates that must be obtained to enter the Indian market under the new regulations. 

 

Operationalising UAE-India Cepa

The Ministry of Economy’s launch of this webpage is part of its plan to operationalise the UAE-India Cepa, with the aim of providing the private sector with the tools, knowledge, and information it needs to deepen trade relations with India, which is the world's fifth largest economy. These efforts will help increase the volume of UAE-India non-oil trade to $100 billion a year within next five years.

 

A team of experts have also been appointed to respond to private sector’s and investor inquiries about Cepa and clarify its clauses, as well as to inform companies of several trade remedies contained in the Agreement. These include a number of experts from the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Chambers and The Department of Economy and Tourism.

 

Shortly, the UAE Ministry of Economy will meet with state-owned enterprises, family business conglomerates and large multinational companies to help them understand the details of the tariff reduction and removal – which covers 80% of products. Workshops will also be conducted to ensure every startup and corporation knows what to do to unlock the enormous opportunities presented by the Cepa.-- TradeArabia News Service