UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Agricultural Products Report
(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)
Read Full debate
The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Chris Bryant)
The UK officially signed its landmark comprehensive economic and trade agreement with India on 24 July 2025, marking the start of a strengthened trading relationship between the two economies. The UK-India trade deal will make trade quicker, cheaper and easier for UK businesses, increasing UK GDP by £4.8 billion and ultimately boosting bilaterial trade with India by £25.5 billion every year in the long run. The deal enables UK businesses to expand into one of the fastest growing markets in the world, delivering the growth mission across the UK and showing the UK’s global commitment to free, fair and open trade.
In order to trigger the ratification of the UK-India trade deal through the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Government have a statutory duty to lay a report before Parliament under section 42 of the Agriculture Act 2020. Today, I am proud to lay this report before the House.
The Secretary of State has sought advice from independent bodies including the Trade and Agriculture Commission, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland, and has responded to this advice in the report. Their independent advice concurs with the Government’s assessment that the FTA does not affect the UK’s ability to maintain its statutory protections in relation to human, animal or plant life or health, animal welfare or the environment. The Government will endeavour to bring this landmark agreement into force as soon as possible, while providing for full parliamentary scrutiny.
[HCWS1094]