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FTA negotiations: European Union relents on raw material supply clause
Bloc earlier wanted India to commit to uninterrupted supply
Major geopolitical events like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have heightened global interest in securing energy and raw material supplies
Asit Ranjan Mishra New Delhi
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India has prevailed upon the European Union (EU) to set aside negotiations on the chapter on 'energy and raw material' under the proposed free-trade agreement (FTA) being discussed by the two sides. The EU had unilaterally included the chapter, which would have required India to commit to an uninterrupted supply of raw materials — such as petroleum products, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, copper, and other critical metals — without imposing export restrictions.
'It had been agreed ahead of the round that discussions would be put aside for the time being (on the energy and raw material chapter),' said the
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