India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK has hit an early hurdle just ahead of its implementation after the latter tightened steel safeguard measures. The Indian exporters and trade experts have raised concerns, saying that the curbs could dilute gains under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), particularly for steel and engineering exports.
Last May, India and the UK finalised their trade negotiations and signed the agreement in July 2025. The pact’s implementation was initially expected by May 2026. However, the tightened safeguards, according to Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, “have emerged as a concern”. “India, along with Brazil, Turkey, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and Australia, has raised concerns at the WTO over the UK’s new restrictions on tariff-free steel imports,” Agarwal told reporter recently on the sidelines of an event.
