Customs duty from India to United Kingdom: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force on 15 July 2026 - the same agreement covered on this site’s UK to India lane page, from the reverse direction.
• The UK eliminated tariffs on roughly 99% of tariff lines for Indian goods, including full, immediate duty-free access for textiles and clothing across 1,143 separate tariff lines.
• Processed foods and agricultural goods saw duties up to 70% eliminated on 99.7% of tariff lines; leather, footwear, engineering goods, auto components, and gems and jewellery all saw substantial or complete duty elimination too.
• UK goods imports from India reached roughly £10.9 billion in the four quarters to Q1 2026 - but this is a pre-CETA baseline figure, since the deal only took effect in the final weeks of that period.
• India’s largest export categories to the UK are textiles and clothing, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals and generic drugs, and engineering goods.

India-UK Trade at a Glance

UK goods imports from India reached roughly £10.9 billion in the four quarters to Q1 2026, within £28.2 billion in total imports (goods plus services) over the same period (gov.uk India Trade and Investment Factsheet, 31 July 2026). This figure predates CETA’s effect - the agreement only entered into force on 15 July 2026, right at the end of that rolling four-quarter window, so any near-term change in UK imports from India driven by the new tariff cuts won’t show up in trade data until later 2026 releases. Textiles and clothing, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals and generic drugs, engineering goods and auto components, leather and footwear, and marine and seafood products are India’s largest export categories to the UK.

Is There a Trade Deal Between India and the UK? (Yes - And This Direction Is the Bigger Story)

Yes - the India-UK CETA, the same agreement covered on this site’s UK to India lane page, entered into force on 15 July 2026. Seen from this direction, the outcome is more sweeping than the reverse: the UK eliminated tariffs on roughly 99% of tariff lines for Indian goods, including full, immediate duty-free access on textiles and clothing across 1,143 separate tariff lines - one of India’s largest export industries. Beyond textiles, processed foods and agricultural goods saw duties up to 70% eliminated on 99.7% of tariff lines (cereals, fruits, vegetables, spices, fish, and meat), leather and footwear duties up to 16% were eliminated, engineering goods and auto components duties up to 18% were eliminated, and gems and jewellery moved to zero duty (Al Jazeera, 15 July 2026; Tribune India).

How Much Will You Pay Importing from India to the UK?

For genuinely Indian-originating goods now covered by CETA’s roughly 99% tariff-line elimination, expect 0% duty for the large majority of categories - textiles, leather and footwear, gems and jewellery, and most processed foods and agricultural goods are all confirmed at or near full elimination. For goods outside CETA’s current coverage, or during any remaining phase-in for partially-reduced categories, India’s standard UK Global Tariff MFN rate applies instead. Standard UK mechanics otherwise apply: below £135 (CIF value), 20% VAT only, no duty; above £135, 20% VAT plus any applicable duty plus a courier handling fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the India-UK trade deal actually reducing what Indian exporters pay to sell into the UK?

Yes, substantially - the UK eliminated tariffs on about 99% of tariff lines for Indian goods when CETA took effect on 15 July 2026, including full duty-free access for textiles and clothing across 1,143 tariff lines.

Does the UK import data on this page reflect CETA’s impact yet?

No - the most recent data available (four quarters to Q1 2026) predates CETA’s 15 July 2026 entry into force by only weeks, so it’s a pre-deal baseline, not a measure of the agreement’s effect. This site will update the figure as later data becomes available.

What does India mainly export to the UK?

Textiles and clothing, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals and generic drugs, engineering goods and auto components, leather and footwear, and marine and seafood products are India’s largest export categories to the UK.

Which categories benefit most from CETA on the Indian-exports side?

Textiles and clothing see the most complete, immediate benefit - 100% duty-free across 1,143 tariff lines - with processed foods, agricultural goods, leather, footwear, engineering goods, and gems and jewellery all seeing substantial or complete duty elimination too.