Free trade agreements create new framework conditions. However, what matters for companies is what this means for their specific foreign business. For Thuringian companies, it is therefore worthwhile to look at where tariffs are falling, which rules of origin must be met, and how improved market access can be used for their own internationalization strategy.
In this context, markets with which free trade agreements have recently been concluded are increasingly coming into focus, including India and the Mercosur states. In Mercosur, the interim trade agreement with the EU has already been provisionally applied since May 1, 2026. It not only gradually dismantles tariffs but also aims to reduce non-tariff trade barriers and create more reliable framework conditions for trade and investment.
In the case of the EU-India free trade agreement, negotiations were concluded on January 27, 2026. The next step is the European approval process. Once in force, the agreement is intended to eliminate or reduce tariffs on more than 96 percent of EU goods exports to India.
For companies, this is where the real work begins. Because a free trade agreement alone does not yet make an export business. What matters is applying the new regulations to one's own products and sales markets: Where do tariff advantages actually arise? Which rules of origin must be observed? Which business partners are needed, and which market strategy suits the respective company?
This is precisely where we, Thüringen International, focus our activities. Over the course of the year so far, the focus has not only been on trade policy developments, but above all on direct access to the respective markets. Following the delegation trip to India in early summer, attention now turns to South America: From October 31 to November 8, a Thuringian delegation trip led by Colette Boos-John, Thuringia's Minister for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas, will take place to Argentina and Brazil. This gives Thuringian companies the opportunity to learn about market conditions first-hand, build Contacte on site and explore their own business opportunities.
The new trade agreements can open doors. Whether concrete business opportunities arise from them, however, depends on using these possibilities early and strategically. Thüringen International supports you in evaluating new target markets, building Contacte, and preparing the next steps in foreign business.
Further information on the delegation trip Mercosur – Argentina & Brazil
