India–UK CETA India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

What does CETA stand for? India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

When did the India–UK CETA come into force? 15 July 2026

When did the DCC come into force? 15 July 2026

What is CETA? Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between India and the UK

What does DCC stand for? Double Contributions Convention on social-security contributions

What areas does CETA cover? Goods, services, professional mobility, digital trade, government procurement, intellectual property and sustainable development

What percentage of Indian exports receives zero-duty access to the UK under CETA? Nearly 99%

How many UK service sub-sectors are covered by CETA? 137 service sub-sectors

When were CETA negotiations launched? 13 January 2022

When were CETA negotiations concluded? 6 May 2025 after 14 rounds

When was CETA signed? 24 July 2025

Who signed CETA on behalf of India? Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister

Who signed CETA on behalf of the UK? Jonathan Reynolds, UK Business and Trade Secretary

Who witnessed the signing of CETA? Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer

When was the DCC signed? 10 February 2026

What percentage of Indian goods exports receives zero-duty access to the UK under CETA? Nearly 99%

What UK duties on textiles, apparel and carpets were removed under CETA? Duties of up to 12%

Which major textile centres benefit from CETA? Tiruppur, Surat, Ludhiana and Bhadohi

What UK duties on leather and footwear were eliminated under CETA? Duties of up to 16%

Which major leather and footwear centres benefit from CETA? Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi-NCR

Which marine and agricultural products benefit from CETA? Shrimp, fish, tea, coffee, spices, grapes and processed foods

What tariffs on engineering and auto components were removed? Tariffs of up to 18%

What tariff benefit do pharmaceuticals and medical devices receive? Zero-duty access to the UK

Which other sectors benefit from lower tariffs under CETA? Chemicals, telecom equipment, electronics, jewellery and other value-added manufactured products

How was India's tariff on UK whisky and gin changed under CETA? Reduced from 150% to 75% immediately and gradually to 40% by the tenth year

What happens to UK automobile tariffs in India under CETA? Tariffs of up to 110% fall to 10% under specified quotas

What is India's tariff liberalisation under CETA? 64% of tariff lines immediately and 85% within ten years

What is the overall Indian tariff reduction under CETA? About 90% of tariff lines

How many UK services sub-sectors are covered by the services commitments? 137 service sub-sectors

What percentage of India's services-export interests are covered by the UK services commitments? Over 99%

Which major services sectors benefit from CETA? IT and IT-enabled services, financial services, healthcare, education, telecommunications, engineering and management consultancy

What do CETA's mobility provisions provide? Clearer entry rules for business visitors, contractual service suppliers, independent professionals and intra-corporate transferees

What is the dedicated mobility route under CETA? Up to 1,800 annual opportunities for Indian chefs, yoga instructors and classical musicians

Does CETA create an unrestricted right to enter or work in the UK? No

What does the DCC provide for temporarily assigned employees and employers? They generally contribute to the social-security system of only their home country

What is the maximum period covered by the DCC? Up to 60 months

What is the purpose of the DCC? To prevent simultaneous social-security contributions in India and the UK

Does the DCC exempt individuals from income tax or immigration requirements? No

Which sensitive Indian products are excluded from complete liberalisation? Dairy, cereals, millets, pulses, apples, certain vegetables, gold, smartphones and critical energy products

What do bilateral safeguards under CETA permit? Temporary action if a sudden rise in imports causes serious injury to domestic producers

What is the purpose of rules of origin? To ensure tariff benefits apply only to goods genuinely originating in India or the UK

What is self-certification of origin? It allows exporters to certify origin themselves, reducing documentation and processing time

What do CETA's customs provisions promote? Paperless procedures, transparency and faster clearance

What access do UK companies receive under government procurement provisions? Specified access to India's government-procurement market while domestic preferences are retained

What is the joint institutional mechanism under CETA? It supervises implementation and resolves disputes under CETA

What was India–UK merchandise trade in FY 2025–26? USD 25.12 billion

What were India's goods exports to the UK in FY 2025–26? USD 13.44 billion

What were India's goods imports from the UK in FY 2025–26? USD 11.68 billion

What was India's merchandise trade surplus with the UK? USD 1.76 billion

What was India–UK services trade in 2024? USD 35.44 billion

What were India's services exports to the UK? USD 21.66 billion

What were India's services imports from the UK? USD 13.78 billion

What was India's services trade surplus with the UK? USD 7.88 billion

What is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)? An agreement that removes or reduces trade barriers among participating countries while allowing each member to maintain its own tariff policy towards non-members

How are FTAs related to the WTO Most-Favoured-Nation principle? FTAs are permitted as exceptions to the WTO Most-Favoured-Nation principle

Which GATT provision provides the WTO basis for FTAs for goods? GATT Article XXIV

Which GATS provision provides the WTO basis for FTAs for services? GATS Article V

What is the difference between an FTA and a Customs Union? An FTA does not require a common external tariff

What is the significance of CETA for UK trade policy after Brexit? It forms part of the UK's effort to develop independent trade partnerships after leaving the European Union