The United Arab Emirates and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will implement their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on October 6, 2026, following the completion of ratification procedures. The agreement is expected to boost bilateral trade, including steel and metal products, while expanding economic cooperation between the two sides.
The agreement provides preferential market access for more than 85pct of goods and covers over 95pct of bilateral trade. It also establishes common rules on customs procedures, e-commerce, technical barriers to trade, sanitary measures, intellectual property rights and government procurement, while promoting cooperation in transport and logistics, mineral processing, research and innovation, and halal standards.
For the UAE steel sector, the agreement is expected to improve access to competitively priced raw materials, semi-finished steel and finished steel products from EAEU suppliers, supporting lower input costs for local manufacturers and processors.
The agreement could also strengthen the UAE’s position as a regional steel processing and re-export hub. Supported by its advanced ports, logistics infrastructure and strategic location along the International North-South Transport Corridor, the UAE is well positioned to distribute steel products from EAEU countries to markets across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
The EAEU comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, representing a combined market of more than 180 mln people. Russia and Kazakhstan are among the region’s leading steel producers and exporters, supplying a broad range of flat steel, long products, pipes and semi-finished steel.