UK envoys head to India as nations seek to conclude trade deal
UK envoys are due in New Delhi this week as the two countries seek to bring almost two years of trade negotiations to a conclusion, people familiar with the matter said.
A team of 30 UK officials including Director General for trade negotiations Amanda Brooks will head to the Indian capital to thrash out remaining issues as part of their 13th round of talks, officials from the UK and India said, requesting anonymity because a deal isn’t yet sealed.
At stake is a commercial agreement between two of the world’s largest economies that would represent a landmark for both.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would be able to hold the deal up as a benefit of Brexit, and for India, it would be a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he gears up for an election next year.
Earlier in the year, the two nations softened positions on most of their points of contention. Indian officials said that they had agreed to slash tariffs on British cars and scotch whisky, with Britain prepared to relax some visa rules for Indian professionals.
Sunak and Modi must now make a political call on pending issues, one person said.
With almost all outstanding sensitive issues resolved, Modi was due Monday to meet his own team to take a call on concluding a deal, the person said. The Indian premier will decide the position on a handful of critical issues for the South Asian nation, they said without providing further details.
The window of opportunity for finalizing the trade deal — India’s biggest and most ambitious to date — is small given next year’s national polls.
Two UK officials said significant progress has been made, with the majority of chapters closed, but that some issues are still being resolved.
