India exported goods worth more than $140 million to the United Kingdom with zero import duty on the first day of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) coming into effect.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said over 50 export consignments were dispatched from more than 20 locations, including ports, airports, Inland Container Depots (ICDs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and manufacturing facilities across India.
The shipments included electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, gems and jewellery, along with other key products. Major trade gateways such as Mundra, Nhava Sheva and Chennai ports, as well as air cargo facilities in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad, handled the consignments.
Describing CETA as one of India’s most significant trade agreements, Agrawal said the pact was finalised after more than 800 technical sessions conducted across 14 rounds of negotiations.
The agreement provides duty-free access to nearly 99 per cent of Indian exports entering the UK market. Sectors expected to benefit include leather, footwear, textiles, electrical and mechanical machinery, plastics, base metals, marine products, and gems and jewellery.
Several of these products previously faced UK import duties ranging between 2 per cent and 16 per cent. The removal of tariffs is expected to improve competitiveness for Indian exporters and expand market opportunities.
Agrawal said the Commerce Department will work closely with export promotion councils and industry clusters to help businesses maximise the benefits of the agreement.
British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said the trade agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade by more than GBP 25 billion annually in the long term and contribute around GBP 5 billion each year to the economies of both countries.
The India-UK trade pact marks a major step towards strengthening economic ties and boosting exports between the two nations.
