UK-India FTA raises concerns among British rice millers
British rice millers such as Tilda and Veetee Rice have thrived for decades by importing low-tariff unmilled brown rice from the likes of India and Pakistan and «polishing» the grains into the white product loved by UK consumers.
But with India pressing for tariffs on white rice to be slashed, and little feedback from British trade officials, concerns are mounting for an industry that employs more than 3,000 people at 16 mills and processing plants scattered from Kent in southern England to Yorkshire in the north.
«It is crucial that existing tariffs on milled (white) rice are maintained,» Alex Waugh, outgoing director of The Rice Association, said at a private event in the House of Commons last month attended by rice industry leaders and government officials.
«If access on milled rice is conceded, the basis of operations will be undermined, the incentive for future investment in the UK will be lost and ultimately jobs will go.»
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Business and Trade said officials were working towards an «ambitious trade deal.»
«We have always been clear we will only sign a deal that is fair, balanced and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy,» the spokesperson said.
One person with knowledge of the UK dialog said the question of tariffs on rice was yet to be fully addressed, adding that it was a contentious issue and that the two sides were still some way off ironing out the more «difficult» details of a trade deal.
A separate source with knowledge of the Indian negotiating team confirmed that the subject of tariffs on rice was very sensitive, and that an agreement had not yet been reached.
Currently, the UK imports vast quantities of brown rice from India
