India has exported its first chilled fish consignment to Oman under the newly implemented India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The shipment was flagged off from Chennai Airport on June 2, 2026, marking a key milestone in bilateral trade in marine products.
The consignment is the first chilled seafood export under the CEPA framework and signals expanding opportunities for Indian exporters, especially from coastal states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
CEPA comes into force, boosting trade ties
The development comes just days after the agreement officially came into effect on June 1, 2026. The pact was signed in Muscat on December 18, 2025, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said.
Under the agreement, Oman will provide duty-free access to 99.38 per cent of Indian exports by value, covering over 98 per cent of tariff lines. Most tariff concessions, including those on marine products, took effect immediately upon implementation.
Major gains for marine and labour-intensive sectors
All marine exports such as fish, shrimp and cuttlefish will now enter Oman duty-free, opening new avenues for India’s seafood industry. The CEPA is also expected to benefit other labour-intensive sectors including agriculture, textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, automobiles and footwear.
However, India has protected sensitive sectors by excluding items such as dairy, cereals, fruits, vegetables, edible oils, oilseeds, spices, rubber and leather from market access commitments.
National rollout of first consignments
The operationalisation of the agreement was marked by coordinated export shipments from multiple cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Oman’s Ambassador to India Issa Saleh Al Shibani flagged off the consignments, which included agricultural goods and gems and jewellery.
On the day the agreement took effect, more than 10 export consignments were shipped from India under preferential tariff access.
Trade facilitation and regulatory cooperation
The CEPA also includes provisions aimed at improving trade efficiency, such as investment facilitation, regulatory cooperation, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical barriers to trade and mutual recognition of certifications.
Oman will accept certificates issued by India’s Export Inspection Council, reducing duplication of testing and easing compliance for exporters.
