The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom (UK). Negotiations were formally launched in January 2022 to deepen economic ties and remove trade barriers. The agreement was concluded on May 6, 2025, and formally signed on July 24, 2025, by India's Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, and the UK's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Mr. Jonathan Reynolds. It is set to enter into force on July 15, 2026.
The mechanism of the CETA is detailed across 30 chapters, covering goods, services, technology, and mobility. A core provision is the elimination or reduction of tariffs: the agreement secures duty-free access for 99% of India's exports to the UK, covering nearly the entire trade basket. In return, India has opened 89.5% of its tariff lines, covering 91% of the UK's exports. The pact also includes provisions for enhanced business mobility for professionals and modernizes engagement with advanced disciplines like digital trade, financial services, and intellectual property.
The CETA is closely connected to the Agreement on Social Security, also known as the Double Contribution Convention (DCC), which will also come into effect on July 15, 2026. This is India's second comprehensive FTA with a European country, following the one with EFTA. Recently, the Finance Ministry operationalized the pact by notifying the Customs Tariff (Determination of Origin of Goods under Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Rules, 2026 (Notification No. 62/2026-Customs (N.T.) dated July 03, 2026), which will govern the originating status of goods to prevent misuse of preferential tariffs.