Dairy products excluded, zero duty on 95% agri goods

India has protected the interest of domestic farmers by excluding dairy products, edible oils and apples in the free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK while securing zero duties on 95 per cent of agriculture and processed food items, a move which is expected to bump up agriculture exports by over 20 per cent over the next three years.

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE & AGENCIES

Sources said big gainers could be shrimp and meat exporters who will enjoy duty-free access to the lucrative UK markets.

No tariff concession has been allowed on oats as well in the FTA, which was signed on Thursday.

Over the past decade, the UK's shrimp imports have remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 11,000 and 15,000 metric tons annually since 2014, a report by InCred Equities showed.

However, in the 2022 calendar year, total imports surged past 75,000 tonnes, positioning the UK as India's ninth-largest shrimp export destination.