CBAM

In the news

• Op-ed: BRICS carbon partnership should build a common rulebook before a common market 5 November 2026 · The Hindu

  With Europe's carbon border tax now biting, can BRICS agree on how to count a tonne of carbon before it trades one?

• India and the EU to sign their trade deal on 16 December 24 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Negotiated for nearly two decades, closed in January. What does India actually get?

• India-EU trade deal: a 1.64 million tonne steel quota for India, a car quota for the EU 14 September 2026 · Indian Express

  India sends about 4 million tonnes of steel to Europe a year. Only 1.64 million tonnes get a quota. What about the rest?

Key facts

• The New Delhi Declaration of the 18th BRICS Summit (12 September 2026) looked forward to implementing the MoU on the BRICS Carbon Markets Partnership. (5 November 2026)
• The op-ed argues the partnership should first agree common MRV rules and mutual recognition of verifiers, then run a small Article 6.2 pilot. (5 November 2026)
• India-EU trade talks began in 2007, stalled in 2013 and restarted in June 2022. (24 September 2026)
• The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which prices embedded carbon in imports such as steel and aluminium, is a key concern for Indian exporters. (24 September 2026)
• India-EU FTA negotiations were relaunched on 17 June 2022 and concluded on 27 January 2026; the Commission presented the deal to the EU Council on 11 September 2026. (14 September 2026)
• Under the deal India gets an annual EU steel quota of 1.64 million tonnes (0.69 mt FTA-specific and 0.95 mt MFN), against exports of about 4 million tonnes. (14 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2026 · GS2 · 10 marks "BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South." Explain the role of BRICS in projecting itself as an alternative to other groupings.
2. 2025 · GS3 · 10 marks What are the challenges before the Indian economy when the world is moving away from free trade and multilateralism to protectionism and bilateralism? How can these challenges be met?
3. 2018 · GS2 · 15 marks What are the key areas of reform if the WTO has to survive in the present context of 'Trade War', especially keeping in mind the interest of India?
4. 2018 · GS3 · 15 marks How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect macroeconomic stability of India?
5. 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Should the pursuit of carbon credits and clean development mechanisms set up under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of a carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India's energy…
6. 2017 · Prelims 'Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and (a) European Union (b) Gulf Cooperation Council (c) Organization for Economic…