Boris Johnson’s International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has traveled to Delhi to start talks on a possible post-Brexit trade deal with India.

The minister hopes to finalize an “ambitious” free trade agreement with the country.

Last year, in a bid to renew economic ties, the UK launched an enhanced trade partnership with India covering health, technology and vaccine development. Although it is far from a full-fledged free trade agreement, it could eventually be a stepping stone to a deeper trade deal.

Other countries, including Australia, have struggled to get a quick and comprehensive trade deal with India. Indeed, the nation has proven to be a difficult trading partner for the UK and other developed economies in recent years. India suspended a series of bilateral investment treaties with major economies in 2017, including one with the UK.

Ms Trevelyan said the talks that started on Thursday were “a golden opportunity to put British business in the lead as India’s economy continues to grow rapidly”.

The Commerce Secretary said a free trade deal with India “would show how the deals we negotiate will boost the economies of all countries and help level out all parts of the UK”.

More the Best for Britain campaign group declared that the allégations d’un éventuel accord devraient être «prises avec une grande pincée de sel» – étant donné que «historically, l’Inde entame plus de négociations commerciales qu’elle n’en Finished “.

In May 2021, India agreed to resume talks with the EU on a comprehensive free trade agreement, but progress in starting formal negotiations has reportedly slowed since then.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has said the UK wants a deal that removes barriers to trade with the Indian economy, including lowering tariffs on exports of UK-made cars and Scotch whisky.

Scotch whiskey and British cars are currently facing huge tariffs of 150% and 125% respectively in India. A deal has the potential to nearly double UK exports to the country, the DIT said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is believed to have made easier immigration to the UK a key condition for any new trade deal.

But Johnson said last week that he had ruled out relaxing immigration rules to urge India to sign a trade deal after a Conservative MP protested the idea of ​​holding the country to ransom.

The prime minister denied there were any plans to ease visa requirements, telling British MP Sir Edward Leigh in the House of Commons: “We don’t do free trade deals on this basis.”

The Johnson government remains under pressure to strike a new post-Brexit trade deal with major nations after a series of renewal deals, copying terms the UK already had when it was inside the EU, before and after leaving the EU. block.

The United States called off the talks, despite a recent visit to Washington by Ms Trevelyan, while farm bodies and environmentalists attacked the Australian deal for undermining British farm exports and lowering standards.

This article was last updated on January 13, 2022. It previously referred to a strengthened trade partnership as a sign that UK negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement with India had broken down. However, this was not accurate, as the association itself is not a sign of it.