Under their newly concluded trade arrangement, India and the United Kingdom have committed to sharing yearly data on how the pact is being used — covering tariff-reduction requests lodged by businesses and feedback gathered on the agreement's day-to-day operation — with the stated aim of widening access to its provisions for a broader range of companies.

Twelve months after the pact takes effect, the sharing of data between the two sides is set to begin, as outlined in a joint statement released following the 16th gathering of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). Provisions under the CETA trade accord took effect on 15 July 2026.

Under the deal's terms, nearly all goods exported from India — around 99 per cent — face no tariff when entering Britain, while nine in ten products shipped the other way gain either full or partial duty-free access to the Indian market. Spanning automotive, manufacturing, consumer goods, creative industries, and medical technology, the deal is delivering returns for businesses on both sides, while the joint statement noted that the two parties had committed to sharing data each year — beginning twelve months after CETA took effect — on how companies are making use of the accord.

Covered under the arrangement will be figures on how often companies invoke reduced tariff rates, paired with assessments of what provisions are functioning as intended and where gaps in support remain. The joint exercise, according to the statement, is intended to build a common set of priorities between the two nations while also pinpointing avenues through which a broader range of firms — with particular attention to smaller enterprises — can tap into the opportunities the trade agreement offers.

The session was jointly led by Piyush Goyal, holding the Commerce and Industry portfolio, and Jonathan Reynolds, who oversees Business, Innovation, Science and Trade on the UK side.

Preliminary trade benefits under the deal were among the points the joint statement drew attention to. Duty-free passage for a consignment of Scottish salmon into India came about within two weeks of the trade agreement taking effect, with exports of several thousand kilograms accumulating in the period that followed. Reduced tariffs have opened a path for Scotch whisky into the Indian market, and the first vehicles shipped under the tariff-rate quota have now passed through customs and arrived on Indian soil.

Across more than 50 shipments dispatched by Indian exporters the moment the agreement took effect, a broad range of goods made the journey to the UK — among them smartphones and other consumer electronics, turbojets alongside electrical and mechanical machinery, gold jewellery, finished garments, woollen yarn, tea, and coffee.

A framework for keeping CETA running without disruption was part of the broader package both nations settled on. Translating that commitment into action involves standing up committees and working groups, while also pinning down which officials on each side will serve as the designated point of contact for every section of the agreement.

Talks also extended into areas covering services, innovation, government procurement, and science and technology, alongside commitments to address gender-related matters, with both sides backing closer business-to-business ties and broader collaboration across the region.

A 17th round of JETCO talks is scheduled to take place on British soil in 2027.