A new trade deal between the UK and India has been announced following a meeting between UK Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, and India’s Business Secretary, Piyush Goyal, in London last week. The trade deal has been in the works for years, but a huge drive for a new deal became necessary following Trump’s Tariffs. The new deal is positive for both countries, and could have a huge impact on UK businesses. Below we’ll explore what a new trade deal between the two countries could mean for you and your business.
Why Is The Deal Significant?
The British government has described the deal as “the biggest and most economically significant” bilateral trade agreement signed by the UK since Brexit. But why is such a trade deal so significant for UK business?
According to the latest figures, UK businesses have been looking to India for some time – with trade between the two countries totalling a whopping £41 billion. This latest trade agreement is set to see that figure rise to £66.5 billion by 2040. That means long term commitments from both countries that will benefit businesses on both sides.
What Are The Benefits For UK Businesses?
One of the biggest benefits to UK business is market access. India, famously, has been one of the toughest markets to break into for businesses looking to expand and offer their products and services in the country – and that’s true for businesses around the globe, not just UK ones. If India keeps its higher barriers to market access for other countries whilst lowering those barriers for UK businesses, then access to the market becomes a huge benefit for UK business owners.
Not only that, but India is predicted to grow to become the third largest economy in the world in just a few years. With access to the Indian market, UK businesses can really benefit from that. But the benefits aren’t all for UK business alone. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has described the historic deal as “ambitious and mutually beneficial”. Most of the mutual benefits come in the form of reduced tariffs for good imported and exported to and from the two countries, making prices more competitive for good produced the UK/India and sold in the opposite country.
For the UK, those goods include UK cars, whisky, gin, aerospace, electricals and some UK food products – and that’s just to start with. For India, those goods include clothing, shoes, and even frozen prawns. The trade deal includes further cuts further down the line for more products on both sides.
Being able to sell products at a lower rate thanks to levy and tariff reductions means an ability for UK businesses to price their products more competitively in India, opening up the market and increasing sales exponentially in the best case scenarios.
When Will The Trade Deal Come Into Effect?
Unfortunately UK businesses might have to wait a little while before exploring India as a market to expand into, but only up to a year depending on how quickly final negotiations take place and how easy it is for both countries to agree on a final trade deal and timeline.
The encouraging thing is that both countries are keen to get the trade deal in place following Trump’s Tariffs recently. The Indian Prime Minister has even targeted the UK as a high priority trade partner to achieve his ambitious plans of growing exports to $1 trillion by 2030. The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has described the deal as a landmark that can boost growth and “deliver for British people and business”. The point being, both countries are keen to get the deal over the line, so UK businesses should start thinking about how it could benefit their business now.
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