Muscat – The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) has affirmed that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) concluded with India does not affect Omanisation policies, stressing that the agreement is subject to all laws and regulations in force in the sultanate.
At a media briefing in Muscat on Tuesday, the ministry stated that the agreement ensures priority in employment for national cadres without exception, in line with established Omanisation requirements.
It informed that the agreement is expected to expand the scope of trade exchange, enhance regional economic integration, diversify non-oil revenues and enhance the sultanate’s appeal as an investment destination.
H E Qais Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, reiterated that Oman retains its full sovereign right to apply anti-dumping and countervailing measures. He noted that the CEPA includes provisions allowing the sultanate to take protective measures in cases of proven or suspected harm to local industries.
H E Yousef said the agreement gives Oman a comparative advantage until other GCC states conclude similar arrangements, making its swift implementation a direct strategic and economic gain.
Describing the agreement as a strategic step, the minister said it supports economic diversification, enhances competitiveness, boosts Oman’s investment appeal, broadens the production base, empowers small and medium enterprises, and creates employment opportunities for citizens.
He added that it provides an integrated framework for liberalising trade in goods through the elimination or reduction of customs duties, regulation of non-tariff barriers, facilitation of import and export procedures and the establishment of clear rules to protect national products.
The CEPA will also grant Omani products preferential access to a market of more than one billion people, helping to expand national exports, strengthen their global presence and reinforce the sultanate’s position as a regional logistics and industrial hub and a strategic gateway to Asian markets.
H E Yousef said negotiations on the agreement were based on specialised studies, including an economic assessment by Deloitte & Touche, which confirmed the pact’s economic feasibility and its potential to enhance added value and the competitiveness of Omani exports in global markets. He noted that negotiations were conducted over five main rounds between 2023 and 2025.
Under the CEPA, Oman secured an advanced level of trade liberalisation covering 97.4% of the total value of its existing exports, with market access to India reaching about 77.8%, including special liberalisation for several strategically important products. In return, Oman granted India gradual customs liberalisation of up to 99.22%, in line with national economic policies and the need to protect local industries.
Faisal Abdullah al Rawas, Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber would work to maximise private sector benefits from the CEPA by sending trade delegations to India, hosting Indian business delegations and organising awareness workshops across the sultanate, in cooperation with MoCIIP, to familiarise businesses with the agreement’s provisions.
