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Posted on 05/06/2025 6:50:37 AM PDT by Bobbyvotes
LONDON (AP) — Britain and India announced Tuesday that they have agreed on a long-stalled free trade agreement that will slash tariffs on Scotch whisky and scores of other products. The deal comes more than three years after negotiations started — and stalled — under a previous British government.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that the deal was “ambitious and mutually beneficial.”
The British government called it a “landmark.” It said the deal will reduce Indian import taxes on whisky, cosmetics, medical goods, car and airplane parts and other goods from the U.K.
Whisky and gin tariffs will be halved from 150% to 75% before falling to 40% by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100% to 10% under a quota.
Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds ($34 billion) a year “in the long run.”
Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said the deal would be “transformational” for the industry. India is one of the world’s largest whisky markets. He said it had “the potential to increase Scotch Whisky exports to India by 1 billion pounds over the next five years.”
Formal talks that began in 2022 on a free trade agreement were hailed by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a key goal after Britain’s departure from the European Union in 2020. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by Diwali in October of that year.
The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held 2024 general elections.
Modi was re-elected, and Britain replaced the Conservative government with one led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
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As usual with such articles, you only are told what one side gave up.
What did the Brits give up to get the deal?
Brits will get all the curry they want.
Unlimited immigration from India.
“As usual with such articles, you only are told what one side gave up.”
Exactly, you only get half the story. This very true about articles written about Trump. You do not get the other side of the story.
“slash tariffs on Scotch whisky“
Great news for Kamala!
I just went to the Times of India to try to find what India got.
In keeping with your comment, the major benefit seems to be vastly expanded immigration opportunities for IT certified workers from India and healthcare workers as well. They also will get reduced export obstacles for textiles, apparel, footwear, carpets, marine goods, and grapes. Judging from the list, the primary reward is India will take over British IT.
I noticed also.
I wondered about the same thing. There is nothing in the article about what UK gave up. Well, it is AP from UK.
I am positive India would not make a one sided deal, so I am not concerned.
Why cant India distill its own whiskey and gin?
There is a huge surplus of IT workers and healthcare workers including doctors in India. Do not be surprised if Indians take over those services in all English speaking countries. It benefits those countries in the form of reduced expenses for those services. Country wide benefits are much more important for the population than loss of jobs for some individuals.
Anyone can do anything. But it is better to produce locally only those items and services for which there is already infrastructure and skills in place. Trade is more efficient for items made better and cheaper in other countries. A balanced trade benefits all. Problem is not trade, problem is UN-BALANCED trade.
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