The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that the leaders of the European Union and India announced a trade agreement Tuesday after nearly two decades of negotiations, striking a deal that has become more urgent for both sides as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to upend the global order and test long-standing alliances. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe says that while the final free-trade agreement must still clear legal scrutiny in Brussels and New Delhi, the deal brings together the world's largest economic bloc and India, the fastest-growing major economy, at a time when the United States is seen as a less reliable economic partner and China is flooding the world with inexpensive goods. The pact includes an agreement to slash Indian tariffs on European cars to as low as 10 per cent. India has one of the most protected domestic car industries, with tariffs on imported cars as high as 110 per cent, effectively blocking the sale of most European cars there. Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, BMW, Renault and Mercedes-Benz all operate manufacturing sites in India, though the industry's growth has been constrained by high taxes and strict requirements on producing and assembling locally.