Money Control | 28 May 2026
India, South Korea form sub-groups on digital trade, supply chains as part of trade deal upgrade
India and South Korea have agreed to form dedicated sub-groups on digital trade, supply chain cooperation and strategic industrial cooperation, widening the scope of negotiations to upgrade their bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The decision was taken during the 12th round of India-Korea CEPA upgrade negotiations held in New Delhi from May 25-27, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on May 28.
During the current round, discussions were held on Trade in Goods (TiG), Trade in Services (TiS), Rules of Origin (RoO) and Origin Procedures (OP), Investment, and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards.
India and South Korea reaffirmed their commitment to conclude negotiations to upgrade the CEPA in a time-bound manner, with the aim of securing a modernised and mutually beneficial pact that supports balanced trade and deeper economic cooperation.
The talks were co-chaired by Kapil Chaudhary, Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and Park Geun-oh, Director General for Trade Agreement Policy at South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Both countries also acknowledged India's bilateral trade deficit with South Korea, which has increased significantly since the CEPA came into force in 2010, and agreed to address the issue within the broader framework of the agreement.
