經過多年艱苦談判，英國和印度簽署了一項「具有里程碑意義」的貿易協定

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

UK and India sign a 'landmark' trade agreement after years of tough negotiations

Jill Lawless And Rajesh Roy

Tue, May 6, 2025 at 7:01 a.m. PDT 3 min read

LONDON (AP) — Britain and India announced Tuesday that they have agreed on a long-stalled free trade agreement that will slash tariffs on Scotch whisky and scores of other products. The deal comes more than three years after negotiations started — and stalled — under a previous British government.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that the deal was “ambitious and mutually beneficial.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “landmark” that was “fantastic news for British business, British workers and British shoppers.”

The U.K. government said the deal will reduce Indian import taxes on whisky, cosmetics, medical goods, car and airplane parts and other goods from the U.K. Whisky and gin tariffs will be halved from 150% to 75% before falling to 40% by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100% to 10% under a quota.

India's Trade Ministry said 99% of Indian exports would face no import duty under the deal.

“This brings us closer to our goal of becoming a global economic powerhouse. It protects our core interests while opening doors to India’s greater participation in global value chains,” Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said.

Modi’s office said the agreement covered trade in both goods and services, and would “unlock new potential for the two nations to jointly develop products and services for global markets.”

Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds ($34 billion) a year “in the long run.”

Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said the deal would be “transformational” for the industry. India is one of the world’s largest whisky markets, and Kent said the agreement had “the potential to increase Scotch whisky exports to India by 1 billion pounds over the next five years.”

The deal comes as countries around the world scramble to strike trade deals to make up for tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on America's trading partners.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of employers' organization the Confederation of British Industry, said the U.K.’s trade deal with India was a “beacon of hope amidst the specter of protectionism."

U.K.-India trade negotiations began long before Trump's re-election. Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain’s departure from the European Union in 2020. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by Diwali in October of that year.

The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held 2024 general elections.

Modi was re-elected, and Britain replaced the Conservative government with one led by Starmer’s Labour Party.

The two leaders spoke by phone on Tuesday, and Modi said he had invited Starmer to visit India soon. Starmer's office said he would go there “at the earliest opportunity.”

Translation

經過多年艱苦談判，英國和印度簽署了一項「具有里程碑意義」的貿易協定

倫敦（美聯社）— 英國和印度週二宣布，雙方已就一項長期擱置的自由貿易協定達成一致，該協定將削減蘇格蘭威士忌和其他數十種產品的關稅。該協議的達成距離上屆英國政府啟動談判（但談判陷入停滯）已過去了三年多。

印度總理莫迪在 X 上表示，該協議「雄心勃勃且互惠互利」。英國首相施紀賢稱其為 “里程碑” ， “對英國企業、英國工人和英國購物者來說是個好消息” 。

英國政府表示，該協議將降低印度對威士忌、化妝品、醫療產品、汽車和飛機零件以及其他英國商品的進口稅。威士忌和氈酒的關稅將從 150% 減半至 75%，並在協議執行的第 10 年降至 40%。在配額之內，汽車關稅將從100%以上降至10%。

印度貿易部表示，根據該協議，99%的印度出口產品將免徵進口關稅。

貿易部長 Piyush Goyal表示： “這讓我們更接近成為全球經濟強國的目標。這不僅保護了我們的核心利益，也為印度更大程度地參與全球價值鏈打開了大門。”

莫迪辦公室表示，該協議涵蓋貨物和服務貿易，並將「為兩國共同開發面向全球市場的產品和服務釋放新的潛力」。

英國表示，預計該協議「從長遠來看」將使雙邊貿易額每年增加 255 億英鎊（340 億美元）。

蘇格蘭威士忌協會執行長 Mark Kent 表示，這筆交易將為該行業帶來「變革」。印度是世界上最大的威士忌市場之一，Kent 表示，該協議「有可能在未來五年內將蘇格蘭威士忌對印度的出口增加 10 億英鎊」。

在該協議達成之際，世界各國正爭取互相達成貿易協議，以彌補特朗普總統對美國貿易夥伴徵收的關稅。

作為雇主組織的英國工業聯合會 執行長 Rain Newton-Smith 表示，英國與印度的貿易協定是「保護主義陰影下的希望燈塔」。

英印貿易談判早在特朗普連任前就已開始。雙方於 2022 年開始就一項自由貿易協定進行正式談判，時任首相 Boris Johnson 稱這是英國 2020 年脫歐後的一個重要目標。Johnson 曾承諾在同年的 10 月排燈節前達成協議。

兩國舉行了13輪談判，但都沒有突破，隨後談判暫停，因為兩國都將在2024年舉行大選。

莫迪再次當選，英國以施紀賢領導的工黨政府取代了保守黨政府。

兩位領導人週二通了電話，莫迪表示他已邀請施紀賢近期訪問印度。施紀賢的辦公室表示，他將「盡快」前往那裡。

                   So, Britain and India announce that they have reached a long-stalled free trade agreement that will reduce tariffs on Scotch whisky and some other products. The deal comes more than three years of negotiations. Apparently, countries around the world are more eager to try to enter trade deals in response to the tariffs war started by the US.

Note:

1. The global value chain refers to all the links in the process of producing and selling goods or services. It is an international economic activity that usually involves multiple countries and regions. These chains enable companies to divide labor and cooperate in the global market, improving efficiency and competitiveness. (ChatGPT)

2. Diwali (排燈節), also known as Deepavali, is a five-day Hindu festival celebrated across India and by communities worldwide. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps (diyas), decorating homes with rangoli, exchanging sweets, and setting off fireworks. People wear new clothes and perform prayers to Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity. Diwali is also significant for Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, each observing it for different historical reasons. (ChapGPT)