India-UK free trade agreement PDF: 2,080 pages, and the 91 an exporter should read first
The UK-India CETA fills four PDF volumes. Most Indian exporters need five gov.uk files, plus a few HMRC and DGFT papers that put the deal into practice. Here is what each one decides, and which way it applies.
On this page
- Where can I download the India-UK free trade agreement PDF?
- Which chapters and annexes do exporters and importers actually need?
- Where is the UK tariff schedule, and why does it show no duty rates?
- Which parts of Chapter 3 decide whether my goods count as Indian?
- Which UK documents apply the agreement at the border?
- Which DGFT notices cover the certificate of origin for UK-bound goods?
- What is the India-UK FTA customs notification, and does it apply to my shipment?
- Which document answers my question?
- What should I download or bookmark?
- Questions exporters ask
- Sources
At a glance
- Length of the four-volume Treaty Series PDF, TS No.30/2026
- 2,080 pages
- Chapter 3, Annexes 3A to 3C and the UK schedule combined
- 91 pages
- Treaty Series volume holding the UK schedule, Chapter 3 and Annexes 3A to 3D
- Volume III
- Date the agreement entered into force in both directions
- 15 July 2026
Bottom line: Start with Chapter 3, Annex 3A and the UK schedule (Appendix 2A-b) on gov.uk, then read the real rate on the UK Integrated Online Tariff. Annex 3D, the Modalities and the CBIC notices apply only to UK goods entering India.
In short
- The full UK-India CETA is on gov.uk, chapter by chapter or as the four-volume Treaty Series edition TS No.30/2026, which runs to 2,080 pages.
- Most Indian exporters can start with five PDFs, 91 pages in all: Chapter 3, Annexes 3A, 3B and 3C, and the UK schedule in Appendix 2A-b. The same 91 pages run together at pages 414 to 504 of Treaty Series Volume III.
- The UK schedule shows only the categories A, TRQ and U, so the duty rate itself is read on the UK Integrated Online Tariff.
- In UK law the origin rules sit in the India Origin Reference Document v1.0, which renumbers the treaty articles.
- CBIC Notification 62/2026, Circular 33/2026, Annex 3D and the Modalities govern UK goods entering India, not Indian exports to the UK.
Where can I download the India-UK free trade agreement PDF?
The official text sits on gov.uk, in two forms. The CETA collection page lists a preamble and Chapters 1 to 30, each with its own PDF and annexes. It was first published on 24 July 2025, the day the agreement was signed. Most chapter pages now carry a note that the agreement entered into force on 15 July 2026, but the PDF files keep their original July 2025 links.
For one consolidated document, use the Treaty Series edition the FCDO published on 31 July 2026: TS No.30/2026 (CP 1654). Its cover records entry into force on 15 July 2026. If you want a single file, download Volume III: pages 414 to 504 hold the UK schedule, Chapter 3 and Annexes 3A to 3C, the same 91 pages listed further down. An earlier Country Series edition, CS India No.1/2026 (CP 1496), appeared on 21 January 2026.
| Volume | Pages and file | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| I | 519 pages, 6.8 MB | Preamble, Chapters 1 and 2, Annex 2A, start of India's schedule |
| II | 519 pages, 5.7 MB | India's tariff schedule, continued |
| III | 507 pages, 5.5 MB | End of India's schedule; UK schedule from page 414; Chapter 3 from page 440; Annexes 3A to 3D from page 466 |
| IV | 535 pages, 7.4 MB | Annex 3E, Chapters 4 to 30, and the July 2026 authentication Modalities |
Page numbers are the PDF viewer's page numbers, not the printed ones. The Commerce Ministry file titled India-UK-CETA on commerce.gov.in is a print of the July 2025 signing press release, not the treaty; the gov.uk files above are the full text.
Which chapters and annexes do exporters and importers actually need?
Goods traders work mainly from Chapter 2 (trade in goods) and Chapter 3 (rules of origin), with their annexes. For an Indian business selling to UK buyers, five gov.uk PDFs do most of the work. Together they run to 91 pages.
| Pages | What it decides | Direction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 3: Rules of Origin | 26 | How goods qualify, proof of origin, the £1,000 waiver, records and checks | Both |
| Annex 3A: Product Specific Rules | 33 | The origin rule for each HS chapter or heading | Both |
| Annex 3B: Origin declaration | 3 | The fields an exporter's declaration must contain | Both |
| Annex 3C: Certificate of origin | 3 | Layout of a certificate from an Indian issuing authority | India to UK |
| Appendix 2A-b: UK schedule | 26 | Whether a product line is category A, TRQ or U | India to UK |
Three more treaty documents are worth a bookmark:
- Annex 2A (PDF, 14 pages) defines the staging categories. Under Chapter 2, Article 2.6.3, an importer in either country may claim the applied most-favoured-nation duty whenever it is lower than the preferential rate. In practice this matters for India's phased cuts on UK goods, since UK category A lines are already 0%.
- Chapter 5 (PDF, 13 pages) asks each side to endeavour to release goods within 48 hours of arrival, where all documents are in by presentation to customs, the goods are not physically examined and all regulatory checks are complete. It also offers advance rulings on classification and origin within three months; the UK charges no fee.
- Chapter 6 (gov.uk page) on sanitary and phytosanitary measures creates no new import permissions for goods from India. UK food rules still decide what may enter.
The associated documents are side letters on social security contributions, intellectual property and the Crown Dependencies. None of them deals with goods tariffs or origin.
Where is the UK tariff schedule, and why does it show no duty rates?
The UK's commitments sit in Appendix 2A-b, a 26-page list of HS 2022 codes at chapter, four-, six- or eight-digit level. Each line gets a staging category, but no duty rate and no 10-digit UK code.
- A: duty eliminated on entry into force. This covers most lines, including honey (0409), vegetables, fruit, tea and spices (Chapters 07 to 09), apparel and home textiles (61 to 63), furniture (94) and toys (95).
- TRQ: quota treatment. The only UK quota covers electric, hybrid and hydrogen cars (8703.40 to 8703.90), starting with 17,600 units in year 6.
- U: excluded. Examples include milled rice (1006.30), cane or beet sugar (1701), chicken (0207.11 to 0207.14), hen eggs in shell, sausages (1601) and some pork lines.
The rate a UK buyer pays is on the UK Integrated Online Tariff: open the 10-digit code and read the 'Tariff preference' measure for India (IN). Our guide to commodity codes for goods from India shows how an HS line becomes a 10-digit UK code.
Category A does not always mean a saving. Some lines were already 0%, and before 15 July 2026 India paid a reduced rate on many others under the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). Rates below were checked on 30 October 2026.
| Product (UK code) | India paid before 15 July 2026 | CETA rate | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural honey (0409000090) | 16% (no DCTS rate on the line) | 0% | A |
| Hand-made wool shawls (6214200010) | 8% (India excluded from DCTS since 1 January 2026; 6.4% before) | 0% | A |
| Knitted bed linen (6302100000) | 12% (India excluded from DCTS) | 0% | A |
| Cotton T-shirts (6109100010) | 9.6% under DCTS (standard rate 12%) | 0% | A |
| Fresh mango (0804500040) | 0% | 0%, no change | A |
| Black tea, packs up to 3 kg (0902300000) | 0% | 0%, no change | A |
| Milled basmati rice (1006309992) | £121 per 1,000 kg | No preference | U |
For milled basmati, the only 0% route is an India-specific non-preferential quota that needs an import licence. For a wider view, see which Indian goods now enter the UK at zero duty.
Which parts of Chapter 3 decide whether my goods count as Indian?
Section A of Chapter 3 (Articles 3.1 to 3.14) sets the origin rules, and Section B (Articles 3.15 to 3.28) sets the procedures. Our guide to the CETA rules of origin reads the chapter in depth; this table is the map.
| Article | What it decides |
|---|---|
| 3.2 | Three ways to qualify: wholly obtained, made only from originating materials, or meeting the Annex 3A rule |
| 3.4 and 3.5 | Qualifying value content (QVC), on the ex-works price or FOB value |
| 3.7 | Operations that never confer origin, such as repacking, labelling or sorting |
| 3.8 | Cumulation, limited to UK and Indian materials |
| 3.9 | Tolerance for small amounts of non-originating material |
| 3.14 | Transit through a third country without processing |
| 3.15 and 3.18 | Proofs of origin, 12-month validity and the £1,000 waiver |
| 3.20, 3.24 and 3.25 | Late claims, record keeping and verification |
Annex 3A settles most product questions. Honey, fresh fruit, spices and rice must be wholly obtained in India. Apparel, shawls, rugs and home textiles need a change of tariff heading plus the Standard QVC: at least 40% by ex-works build-down, 45% by FOB build-down or 35% by build-up. Ceramics, including terracotta, need a change of chapter. See our explainer on the product-specific rules.
Two points matter for merchant exporters. Goods bought in China and only repacked or labelled in India are not Indian origin. And a merchant exporter may sign the origin declaration relying on the producer's information, quoting its own IEC.
- UK customs value up to which goods declared as originating need no proof of origin (not for shipments split to avoid the rule)
- £1,000
- Validity of an origin declaration or certificate of origin
- 12 months
- How long Indian exporters and producers keep origin records
- 5 years
- Minimum period UK importers keep origin records
- 4 years
Which UK documents apply the agreement at the border?
The treaty does not set UK duty by itself. In UK law the preferences come from SI 2026/36, The Customs (Tariff and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026, which the Trade Tariff cites as the legal act behind the India 0% measures. On 20 January 2026 HMRC added two Word files to its statutory reference documents page, both version 1.0 and dated 13 January 2026:
- The India Preferential Tariff (Word file): the preferential rate for each commodity code, with excluded lines marked MFN.
- The India Origin Reference Document (ORD) (Word file): the UK-law version of the Chapter 3 rules, with its own annexes for product rules and templates.
The ORD renumbers the treaty's articles, so always say which document you are quoting.
| Topic | CETA Chapter 3 | UK ORD |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | Art 3.9 | Art 9 |
| Proof of origin | Art 3.15 | Art 15 |
| £1,000 exemption | Art 3.18 | Art 17 |
| Late claims | Art 3.20 | Art 19 |
| Record keeping | Art 3.24 | Art 22 |
HMRC's Trade Tariff stop press of 13 July 2026 lists the document codes for UK import declarations: 9001 for an origin declaration, N954 for a certificate of origin and U112 for importer's knowledge. The claim also needs a 300-series preference code in data element 4/17. Until 14 July 2028, India can still use the DCTS, but DCTS and CETA proofs of origin are not interchangeable.
Which DGFT notices cover the certificate of origin for UK-bound goods?
On the Indian side, the export procedure sits in DGFT notices, not in the treaty. The first three below are specific to India-UK CETA exports; Trade Notice 25 applies to all certificates of origin filed on Trade Connect, CETA ones included.
| Notice | Date | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Public Notice 09/2026-27 | 11 May 2026 | Allows self-declared certificates for India-UK CETA under HBP para 2.91(e) |
| Public Notice 10/2026-27 | 11 May 2026 | Lists the authorised issuing agencies |
| Trade Notice 11/2026-27 | 13 July 2026 | Opens eCoO filing on Trade Connect, by self-declaration or through an agency |
| Trade Notice 25/2026-27 | 7 September 2026 | Adds an Open API for filing and verifying certificates of origin, under all agreements |
Self-declaration runs on the Trade Connect ePlatform (www.trade.gov.in). It needs a digital signature certificate linked to the exporter's IEC and an uploaded scan of the applicant's ink signature, and there is no fee. Agencies under Public Notice 10 include DGFT regional offices and the Export Inspection Council (all products), APEDA, the Spices Board, the Textiles Committee and the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).
The route is in use: the JETCO joint statement of 12 October 2026 says the first CETA certificates were issued through India's eCoO 2.0 platform on a self-certification basis. Our certificate of origin guide walks through the Trade Connect steps.
What is the India-UK FTA customs notification, and does it apply to my shipment?
Searches for the customs notification usually lead to Indian documents for UK goods entering India. Every document in this table applies only in that direction, UK to India, so none of them applies to Indian exports to the UK. The UK-side equivalent is SI 2026/36 with the India Preferential Tariff and the ORD.
| Document | Date | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| CBIC Notification 62/2026-Customs (N.T.) | 3 July 2026 | India's origin rules for UK goods |
| CBIC Circular 33/2026-Customs | 13 July 2026 | Self-certified origin declarations from UK exporters |
| ICEGATE advisory | 13 July 2026 | URN steps for Indian importers |
| Annex 3D and the Modalities | Modalities signed 9 July 2026 | India's checks on UK exporters' declarations |
| HMRC origin declaration registration | Updated 24 July 2026 | Registration for UK exporters |
| DGFT Public Notices 19, 22 and 26/2026-27 | 9 July to 5 August 2026 | India's import quotas for UK goods |
| Appendix 2A-a: India's schedule (large file) | July 2025 | India's duty cuts on UK goods |
We could not find either original on cbic.gov.in. We read Notification 62 in a Gazette copy circulated by an export promotion council, and Circular 33 only in secondary reports. The ICEGATE advisory, on an official CBIC site, confirms both numbers and dates.
Under Annex 3D, a UK exporter registers with HMRC and emails each declaration to CBIC, and the Indian importer quotes a unique reference number (URN). For Indian goods going to the UK there is no HMRC registration, no CBIC email, no URN and no REX requirement.
Which document answers my question?
| Your question | Open this | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the whole agreement in one edition? | Treaty Series TS No.30/2026, Volumes I to IV | Both |
| Is my product excluded? | Appendix 2A-b (look for U) | India to UK |
| What duty will my UK buyer pay? | UK Integrated Online Tariff, IN preference | India to UK |
| What duty does India charge on UK goods? | Appendix 2A-a, India's schedule | UK to India |
| Does my product qualify as Indian? | Annex 3A, then Chapter 3 Arts 3.2 to 3.14 | Both |
| What must the origin declaration say? | Annex 3B | Both |
| How do I get an eCoO, and from which agency? | DGFT Trade Notice 11/2026-27 and Public Notice 10/2026-27 | India to UK |
| Which codes go on the UK declaration? | HMRC stop press, 13 July 2026 | India to UK |
What should I download or bookmark?
Indian exporter or producer (India to UK):
UK importer (India to UK):
These documents explain the rules; they do not decide a specific case. Confirm classification and origin with a customs agent, or use the Chapter 5 advance ruling route where the answer is unclear. Indian producers who would rather a merchant exporter handled the UK paperwork can contact Britbasket.
Questions exporters ask
Where can I download the India-UK free trade agreement PDF?
From gov.uk. The CETA collection page has each chapter and annex as a separate PDF. The FCDO's Treaty Series edition, TS No.30/2026 (CP 1654), has the whole agreement in four volumes totalling 2,080 pages.
Does the agreement PDF show the UK duty rate for my product?
No. Appendix 2A-b gives only a staging category (A, TRQ or U). The rate is on the 10-digit commodity page of the UK Integrated Online Tariff, applied in UK law by the India Preferential Tariff v1.0.
Is the PIB document the India-UK trade agreement?
No. The PIB backgrounder of 15 July 2026 is the Indian government's summary. It says nearly 99% of India's exports get zero-duty access, covering almost 100% of the trade value. The legal text is the treaty on gov.uk.
What is the UK-India CETA Business Utilisation Manual?
A private-sector guide, not an official text. According to an ANI report of 27 June 2026, the UK India Business Council developed it with HSBC India, and India's Commerce and Industry Minister launched it in London that day. No download page was found on ukibc.com as at 21 October 2026.
When did the India-UK free trade agreement come into force?
On 15 July 2026, in both directions. It was signed on 24 July 2025. The UK's DCTS stays open to India until 14 July 2028, but a DCTS proof of origin cannot support a CETA claim.
Rahul
Director, BRITBASKET PRIVATE LIMITED
Britbasket exports from India to UK wholesale, retail and foodservice buyers, and has cleared shipments into the UK by air and by sea. Registered in India: CIN U47220HR2025PTC128831, GSTIN 06AANCB2770Q1Z2, IEC AANCB2770Q. About the company
Sources
- GOV.UK: UK-India CETA, chapters collection (24 July 2025)
- FCDO: UK/India CETA [TS No.30/2026], CP 1654 (31 July 2026)
- FCDO: UK/India CETA [CS India No.1/2026], CP 1496 (21 January 2026)
- UK-India CETA: Chapter 2, Trade in Goods (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Annex 2A, Tariff Commitments (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Appendix 2A-a, Schedule of India (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Appendix 2A-b, Schedule of the UK (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Chapter 3, Rules of Origin (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Annex 3A, Product Specific Rules (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Annex 3B, Origin Declaration (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Annex 3C, Certificate of Origin (July 2025)
- UK-India CETA: Annex 3D, Authentication Framework (July 2025)
- UK and India: Authentication Modalities (signed 9 July 2026)
- UK-India CETA: Chapter 5, Customs and Trade Facilitation (July 2025)
- GOV.UK: UK-India CETA Chapter 6, SPS Measures (July 2025)
- HMRC: UK transition legislation collection, entry for SI 2026/36, Customs (Tariff and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (20 January 2026)
- HMRC: Preferential trade reference documents, India entries (20 January 2026)
- HMRC: The India Preferential Tariff v1.0 (13 January 2026)
- HMRC: The India Origin Reference Document v1.0 (13 January 2026)
- HMRC Trade Tariff: India FTA stop press (13 July 2026)
- HMRC: UK Integrated Online Tariff, commodity pages (checked 30 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: DCTS country graduation, India (4 September 2026)
- FSA and FSS: Joint Section 42 advice, UK-India FTA (25 June 2026, updated 22 September 2026)
- HMRC: Register to complete UK-India origin declarations (24 July 2026)
- DGFT: Trade Notice 11/2026-27, eCoO under India-UK CETA (13 July 2026)
- DGFT: Public Notice 09/2026-27, HBP paras 2.88 and 2.91 (11 May 2026)
- DGFT: Public Notice 10/2026-27, Appendix 2B agencies (11 May 2026)
- DGFT: Trade Notice 25/2026-27, Open API for CoO (7 September 2026)
- DGFT: Public Notices listing, PN 19, 22 and 26/2026-27 (checked 21 October 2026)
- CBIC/ICEGATE: India-UK CETA rules of origin advisory (13 July 2026)
- PIB: India-UK CETA comes into effect, backgrounder (15 July 2026)
- GOV.UK: Joint statement, 16th India-UK JETCO (12 October 2026)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry: India-UK-CETA file (checked 21 October 2026)
- The Tribune (ANI): CETA Business Utilisation Manual unveiled (27 June 2026)
Last reviewed 30 October 2026. Border, tariff and plant-health rules change. Check the sources above before relying on this guide for a specific consignment.
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