Parliament Question: India–U.K. Trade Agreement

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 424 ANSWERED ON 21/07/2026 INDIA–U.K. TRADE AGREEMENT

424. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री) be pleased to

state:

(a) whether the Government clarify the progress made in India–U.K. trade agreement;

(b) whether timelines announced for concluding India–U.K. trade deals have been missed, if so, the revised timelines thereof, sector-wise and if not, reasons for repeated delays;

(c) whether the Government state key issues pending in negotiations with the United Kingdom, if so, the details thereof, sector-wise and if not, reasons for non-disclosure;

(d) whether the Government has conducted impact assessment of the trade agreement on Indian agriculture sector, if so, the findings thereof, and if not, the reasons for proceeding without evaluation; and

(e) whether the Government clarify implications of proposed tariff reductions on MSMEs under the agreement, if so, the analysis thereof, sector-wise and if not, the reasons for withholding economic data? ANSWER वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्यमंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद) MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (c) India and UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on 24th July 2025 after the conclusion of negotiations on 6th May 2025. The Agreement entered into force on 15th July 2026.

(d) In order to ensure that the CETA is aligned with India’s priorities and protects domestic sensitivities on Agriculture detailed and thorough consultations were held with various stakeholders including line ministries, industries, relevant organizations and export promotion bodies. Based on these consultations, India's priorities and sensitivities were identified and these were taken into account during the negotiations. As a result, the final 1Agreement has protected our sensitivities in Agriculture while simultaneously opening up vast opportunities for our farmers and agriculture exports in the UK market.

(e) Tariff reductions are already effective with the entry into force of the India UK CETA on 15th July 2026. The tariff line wise concession by UK to India is published at " https://www.commerce.gov.in/?target_lang=en#/international-trade/trade- agreements/india-united-kingdom-comprehensive-economic-and-trade-agreement". The tariff concessions will provide Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with competitive advantage and will thereby help in increasing the exports by Indian MSMEs to the UK in sectors such as textiles, leather, jewellery, footwear, home decor, agriculture and processed food products. In addition to trade facilitation obligations in the Agreement, a separate chapter on MSMEs with provisions related to transparency and cooperation will also help in facilitating exports from MSMEs.

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