India-UK CETA Opens New Export Opportunities for Haryana’s Industries, MSMEs and Farmers

The India-United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is set to unlock fresh export opportunities for Haryana’s industries, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers, exporters and services sector by providing increased access to the UK market.

The CETA that took effect on 15th July 2026 opens up trade for nearly 99 per cent of India’s exports to the UK on duty-free basis, thus covering almost the entire trade value. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini stated that with the new agreement, the state’s potential in the export domain would get a major fillip.

Haryana Industries Likely to Benefit

Haryana has a significant presence in the manufacturing, agriculture, automobiles, engineering, textiles and services sector, among others. As per the Chief Minister, the state’s range of products in the textiles, gems and jewellery, chemicals, engineering and automobile ancillaries, machinery, pharma, processed food, handicrafts, ceramics and leather and footwear would gain a competitive edge with reduced trade barriers and tariffs in the UK.

Panipat, Gurugram-Manesar, and Faridabad to benefit

According to Singh Saini, the textile and home furnishings industry in Panipat, the automobile and auto-ancillaries industry in Gurugram-Manesar, the engineering and manufacturing sector in Faridabad, and Haryana’s agriculture and food processing industries would benefit immensely from export opportunities to the UK.

As informed by the chief minister, a freight of fasteners being sent to the UK, which was the first ever consignment to be dispatched to Britain post the CETA implementation, was flagged off recently on 15th July 2026. This has created enough anticipation for many other Haryana-based traders to benefit from the trade route.

Agriculture and Food Processing Sector to Get New Export Gateway

The state’s agriculture-based economy would also gain immensely by meeting an expanding market in the UK. The UK has provided India broad-based tariff concessions on agricultural products under the CETA. Singh Saini noted that while some agricultural commodities have been kept out through specific exemptions or safeguards, the agreement provides access to a larger market for agricultural and food products.

This would provide an added advantage to the state’s traders who are looking to diversify their export destinations, as far as Haryana is concerned.

Textiles, Apparel and Labour intensive Industries to witness Employment Growth

The textiles, apparels and home furnishings are major contributors to employment in Haryana, particularly in Panipat. According to Singh Saini, the state had witnessed an upsurge in export orders due to the preferential access to the UK market. The CETA would enable textile manufacturers to scale up production and create employment opportunities. Panipat’s textile and home furnishings industry thus stands to gain significantly from the CETA.

India-UK CETA is all set to boost bilateral trade

It must be noted that at the national level, the India-UK CETA will give a much-needed fillip to bilateral trade by providing duty concessions, easier market access, and simplified procedures for trade and services. According to government data, India and the UK had registered merchandise trade worth USD 25.12 billion in 2025-26, of which exports from India to the UK were USD 13.44 billion and imports from the UK were at USD 11.68 billion. Moreover, services trade between India and the UK was valued at USD 35.44 billion in 2024, with India registering a services trade surplus of USD 7.88 billion.

The CETA will enable duty-free access for 91 per cent of India’s tariff lines for the UK, while India has granted zero-duty access to almost 99 per cent of India’s exports to UK. The agreement also safeguards sensitive sectors for both countries under exemption or transitional arrangements, including several items of agricultural products for India.

A New Dawn for Haryana’s Manufacturers and Traders

The CETA implementation could open up new opportunities for Haryana’s exporters by helping them penetrate deeper into the UK market. For Haryana’s manufacturers, MSMEs, farmers, and food processing units, the short-term gain would be in accessing the UK market on a preferential duty basis. The long-term benefit would accrue in terms of building brand image and credibility amongst international buyers. Thus, Haryana needs to utilise this opportunity to expand its export base with the help of its competitive advantage on quality products and reap the benefits of increased exports.

Similarly, as India and the UK enter the implementation phase of the CETA, Haryana’s potential to raise its overall exports by leveraging the preferential access offered by the trade agreement will depend on the extent to which local manufacturers and traders can meet the UK’s quality standards