Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free Trade Agreement: India

Thursday 21 July 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Round 5 of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the UK and India began on Monday 18 July and will continue until the end of next week.
  • India and the UK traded 24.3 billion in 2021, with UK services exports to India totalling 3.6 billion in 2021.
  • The Department aims to address barriers faced by UK businesses in exporting to India and support small and medium-sized enterprises through the negotiation process.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Business & Trade
Context

India is a dynamic and fast-growing trade partner, valued at £24.3 billion in 2021.

Question

What progress has the Department made on securing a free trade agreement with India? Round 5 of negotiations began on Monday 18 July and will continue until next week.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

India is a dynamic, fast-growing trade partner with £24.3 billion in trade value in 2021. Round 5 of negotiations began on Monday 18 July and will continue until the end of next week. We have already closed 12 chapters and are committed to reaching a balanced and comprehensive agreement.

Answered
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Q2 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Business & Trade
Context

Doing a trade deal with India is complex and challenging; the European Union has been trying for 25 years without success.

Question

Will the Department set out the benefits to the UK and India of a free trade deal, given that it will be challenging to achieve by Diwali?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Our priority is to address barriers faced by UK businesses in exporting to India. In the past decade, UK services exports to India have increased by 60%, totalling £3.6 billion in 2021. The FTA will provide an opportunity to address these barriers and support UK's service sector.

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Q3 Barry Sheerman Lab
Business & Trade
Context

Huddersfield and West Yorkshire are central to manufacturing, with many firms good at exporting but facing significant barriers.

Question

Can the Department step up action to help small and medium-sized enterprises overcome barriers to exporting efforts?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

We are listening through the consultation process, asking businesses to share their experiences and negotiate reductions. We aim to reach a broad agreement that strips away market access barriers for goods and services, benefiting both sides.

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