British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron on Thursday hailed the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as historic, recognizing it as a significant opportunity for mutual economic benefit. The agreement is scheduled to come into force on July 15, 2026.
Fastest Trade Deal Implementation
Speaking with ANI, Cameron emphasized that the deal will be effective less than a year after it was signed, making it the fastest trade deal ever put into force by the two nations. She noted that the agreement was announced following a breakthrough between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the G7 Summit.
"This is a really historic moment. The UK-India free trade deal will go into force on the 15th of July this year. That's less than a year after it was signed in the presence of our two prime ministers at Chequers last summer. It's the fastest we've ever put a trade deal into force," Cameron stated.
Economic Benefits and Sectoral Impact
The High Commissioner highlighted that the deal aims to double bilateral trade to $100-$120 billion by 2030. She pointed out that the agreement holds significance amid a complicated global environment and will benefit multiple sectors, including textiles, footwear, whiskey, and automobiles.
"There are textile sectors and the footwear. I can think of whiskey. I can think of cars. So many sectors are going to benefit," she added.
Under the agreement, the UK grants immediate duty-free access to 99% of Indian exports, benefiting labor-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, marine, and pharmaceuticals. Indian import tariffs on British Scotch whisky will drop from 150% to 40%.
Addressing Steel Safeguard Measures
Regarding the contentious issue of UK steel safeguard measures, Cameron confirmed that discussions were held with India to address necessary concerns. She reaffirmed that the deal will benefit both nations abundantly. Government sources added that around 85% of India's steel exports would remain outside the scope of the UK's steel measures, with concessions negotiated on 188 steel tariff lines.
Government Preparations for Implementation
Senior government sources told ANI that the government is working to ensure customs notifications and related processes are in place so that exporters can start availing concessions from day one. "The effort will be to see that exporters are able to sell their consignments on July 15 itself, availing concessions," sources said.
Describing the pact as a landmark achievement, government sources stated, "India-UK CETA is the most aspirational agreement so far," adding that it opens up a market worth over USD 500 billion for Indian businesses. The agreement is expected to provide an additional tariff advantage of 7-10% to Indian exporters, bringing India at par with several other countries that already enjoy zero-duty access to the UK market. Over 99% of India's tariff lines and 99% of India's trade would come down to zero duty under the pact.
Trade Surplus and Growing Engagement
India currently enjoys a trade surplus with the UK in both merchandise and services. India's services exports to the UK stood at USD 21.6 billion in 2024, while UK services exports to India were valued at USD 13.7 billion. Merchandise exports from India to the UK stood at USD 13.7 billion in 2025, compared with imports of USD 9.47 billion. Sources also highlighted that more than 900 Indian companies are currently operational in the UK.
