UK Refuses India Trade Deal Timeline as Steel Safeguards Threaten Tariff Concessions
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
UK Refuses India Trade Deal Timeline as Steel Safeguards Threaten Tariff Concessions
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Summary
Peter Kyle declined to give a start date for the UK-India free trade agreement after India warned British steel safeguards could force it to reconsider tariff concessions.
Kyle said officials were still working at “breakneck speed” and argued an autumn 2026 rollout would still be the fastest implementation of any trade deal Britain has signed.
The delay risk centers on steel: India has linked the UK’s safeguard measures to whether it will honor market-opening terms agreed in the pact.
Kyle’s comments, delivered after a one-day India visit, suggest the agreement remains politically backed but operational timing now depends on resolving the steel dispute.