India and the European Union are expected to sign their free trade agreement by December, with implementation planned for the February–March period next year, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says. The two sides announced in January that they had concluded negotiations for the deal, which is described as a major trade agreement. Goyal also indicates that the agreement would open up the European market for Indian exports, supported by a reduction to near-zero duties for much of the trade. He says that around 93% of Indian shipments would receive duty-free access to the 27-nation EU bloc under the terms of the pact. He adds that selected EU imports into India—specifically luxury cars and wines—are expected to become less expensive as a result of the agreement. Goyal further notes that a representative of India’s trade counterpart, the U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, is scheduled to visit India to hold trade pact discussions. According to the statement, India and the EU have held negotiation rounds, including a second round held in May, as part of efforts to finalize the comprehensive economic partnership framework.