First Chilled Fish Export to Oman Under India–Oman CEPA Flagged Off from Chennai

India has exported its first chilled fish consignment to Oman under the newly operational India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the shipment flagged off from Chennai Airport on June 2, 2026.

The consignment represents the maiden chilled seafood export movement under the India–Oman CEPA framework and highlights the growing trade potential in marine products between the two countries, especially for exporters from coastal states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat.

The launch is a timely, strategic milestone coinciding with the India–Oman CEPA coming into force on June 1, 2026, just two days before the shipment. The agreement signed in Muscat on December 18, 2025, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, provides major preferential tariff benefits for Indian exports to Oman.

Under CEPA, Oman will provide duty-free access to 99.38 per cent of India’s exports by value, covering 98.08 per cent of Oman’s tariff lines, with all tariff concessions taking effect immediately. All marine products, including shrimp, fish and cuttlefish, will enjoy immediate duty-free access, creating new opportunities for Indian exporters.

The initiative was part of a broader operationalisation ceremony where Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Oman’s Ambassador to India, Issa Saleh Al Shibani, flagged off the first consignments of agricultural products and gems and jewellery exports from Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai under the preferential tariff framework. On the day the agreement entered into force, more than 10 consignments were shipped from different parts of India availing preferential duty access in Oman.

CEPA is expected to deliver substantial benefits to labour-intensive sectors including agriculture, marine products, textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, automobiles and footwear, while India has safeguarded sensitive sectors by excluding dairy products, cereals, fruits, vegetables, edible oils, oilseeds, spices, rubber and leather from market access commitments.

The agreement includes provisions on investment facilitation, regulatory cooperation, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade and mutual recognition of certifications, with Oman accepting certificates issued by India’s Export Inspection Council (EIC) to reduce duplication of testing and improve ease of trade.