India Trade Negotiations

Greg Hands Excerpts

Tuesday 19th December 2023 Written Statements

[The Minister for Trade Policy (Greg Hands)]

The 13th round of UK-India free trade agreement negotiations began on 18 September and concluded on 15 December. During the round, negotiations took place in both London and Delhi in a hybrid fashion. As with round 12, negotiations in this round were focused on issues including goods, services and investment.

The UK-India trade relationship was worth £38.3 billion in the 12 months to June 2023. A balanced deal that respects the domestic sensitives of both sides will strengthen the economic links between the UK and India, and can boost the UK economy and bring benefits to UK businesses, families and consumers.

We will not compromise on our high environmental and labour protections, public health, animal welfare and food standards, and we will maintain our right to regulate in the public interest. We are also clear that in this negotiation, as with all our FTA negotiations, the NHS and the services it provides are not on the table. Any agreement will be consistent with the points-based immigration system, and there are no plans to change our immigration policy.

The UK and India will continue to negotiate towards a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement. The 14th round of negotiations will take place in January 2024.

The Government will continue to keep Parliament updated as these negotiations progress.

[HCWS160]