<h1 class="ql-align-center">Early harvest Scheme (EHS)</h1> <h2>Context:</h2> <ul><li>India, UAE look to sign ‘early harvest deal’ by the start of 2022</li></ul> <h2>About:</h2> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">An early harvest scheme is a precursor to a free trade agreement (FTA) between two trading partners.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-indent-1 ql-align-justify">This is to help the two trading countries to identify certain products for tariff liberalisation pending the conclusion of the FTA negotiation.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">It is primarily a confidence-building measure between two trading partners.</li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Early harvest agreements are used to liberalise tariffs on the trade of certain goods between two countries or trading blocs before a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is concluded.</li></ul> <ul><li>A good example of an EHS is the one between India and Thailand which was signed in October 2003, wherein several products were identified to be reduced to zero in a phased manner.</li></ul>