Trade talks between India and the European Union have entered a crucial phase and negotiators are working intensively to meet a year-end deadline for signing the free trade pact, a top European Union Official said on Tuesday. The EU is India’s biggest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade hitting $137.5 billion (€116.9 billion) in the 2023/24 fiscal year, up nearly 90% over the past decade. Faced with Trump's tariffs, Brussels has accelerated its push for trade alliances, sealing deals with Mexico and the South American Mercosur countries and stepping up talks with India, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. The deal had been delayed for many years by New Delhi's reluctance to lower tariffs in some areas. The European Union wants India to lower tariffs of more than 100% on imported cars, whiskey and wine.