National Spotlight: India Finalizes Trade Partnership with Oman Amid Shrimp Export Woes and FTA Expansion

India is navigating a complex trade landscape, having concluded negotiations with Oman for a new economic partnership agreement. Although the formal date remains undisclosed, the strategic nature of this deal signals Delhi’s commitment to deepening ties in West Asia, enhancing access for Indian goods across emerging regional markets. This momentum underlines India’s deliberate shift toward diversifying trade corridors beyond traditional partners.

Simultaneously, exporters of shrimp—one of India’s marquee non-agricultural export sectors—are urgently appealing for government intervention. The imposition of heightened U.S. tariffs on Indian shrimp has threatened the viability of USD 2 billion in annual exports, creating significant pressure on competitiveness relative to players like China, Vietnam, and Thailand. The call for financial relief reflects both trade policy misalignment and the vulnerability of export-oriented industries to sudden tariff shifts.

This dual wave of trade developments comes as part of a broader narrative: India has executed five major Free Trade Agreements over the past five years, with several more currently under negotiation. This evolving trade architecture demonstrates a deliberate and proactive push by India’s commerce leadership to embed the nation more deeply in global value chains, even as it contends with emerging protectionist pressures.