EU-Singapore FTA to Take Effect Nov. 21

A free trade agreement between the European Union and Singapore will enter into effect on Nov. 21, the EU Council said in a press release. On that date, all of Singapore’s tariffs on EU goods will be eliminated. The EU will open its market to over 80% of all imports from Singapore duty-free and remove all other tariffs within a few years, the release said. Technical and non-tariff barriers to trade in goods will be removed in sectors including electronics, motor vehicles and vehicle parts, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, renewable energy, and raw and processed products of animal and plant origin, it said. That includes Singapore’s recognition of the EU's safety tests for cars and many electronic appliances, and acceptance of labels that EU companies use for textiles, according to another release from the European Commission.