UK expands trade ties with India free‑trade pact and CPTPP tariff cuts

India and the United Kingdom are finalising a comprehensive free‑trade agreement that is set to take effect in July 2026. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the pact as the most extensive trade deal India has signed, stressing its aim to deepen trade, investment and cooperation in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle described the agreement as a broader reset in bilateral relations.

Separately, the United Kingdom is progressing with tariff liberalisation under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans‑Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The UK plans to remove tariffs on roughly 98 % of import lines from CPTPP partners by 2033, with a duty‑free regime applying to most products from New Zealand and Singapore once fully implemented. Limited exceptions will remain for some commodities and for partners such as Australia, Chile and Japan, whose full liberalisation timelines extend to 2037‑2038.