India-UK trade pact effective July 15 after steel dispute

A landmark trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom will enter into force on July 15, following a last-minute resolution of a dispute over British steel import restrictions. The announcement was made by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer during a meeting on the sidelines of the recent G7 Summit in Evian, France.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, is expected to significantly expand bilateral trade and investment. Officials confirmed that a compromise was reached just weeks before new UK steel safeguard measures were set to take effect on July 1. Those measures would have reduced duty-free steel import quotas by 60 percent and imposed a 50 percent tariff on shipments exceeding the limits. Under the final arrangement, approximately 85 percent of India's steel exports to the UK will be shielded from these restrictions.

Beyond goods, a major component of the agreement is a revised social security convention. This provision will prevent Indian professionals on temporary assignments in the UK from paying social security contributions in both countries. The exemption period has been extended from three years to five years, a...