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India's exports to UK reach $140 million on day one of CETA trade pact: Agrawal
Jul-16-2026

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has said that India has exported goods worth $140 million to the United Kingdom (UK) at zero duty under the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), which came into effect on July 15, 2026. Describing CETA as one of the 'most aspirational' trade agreements by India to date, he said the pact was finalised after 14 formal rounds of negotiations involving more than 800 technical sessions, reflecting the strong commitment of both countries. 

Agrawal termed the agreement a win-win partnership between two major and complementary economies that will significantly strengthen bilateral economic ties. He said under the CETA, nearly 99 per cent of Indian exports receive duty-free access to the UK market. He noted that key beneficiary sectors include leather, footwear, textiles, mechanical and electrical machinery, plastics, base metals, marine products, and gems and jewellery, which previously faced UK import duties ranging between 2 per cent and 16 per cent.  

Emphasising the importance of implementation, he stated that the real success of the agreement would be measured by its impact on the lives of people in both countries through the creation of jobs, livelihoods and economic opportunities. He called upon industry stakeholders to convert the opportunities created by the agreement into tangible outcomes and assured that the Department of Commerce would work closely with Export Promotion Councils and industry clusters across the country to communicate the benefits of the Agreement at the sectoral, product and cluster levels.

Commerce Secretary further stated that while the agreement creates substantial market access opportunities in goods trade, it also provides significant gains in services trade. Given that services account for more than 50 per cent of India’s GDP and over 70 per cent of the United Kingdom’s GDP, he noted that the commitments and predictability offered through the agreement would provide a strong impetus to bilateral services trade in the years ahead. 
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