India’s Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the United Kingdom became operational, and India exported goods worth $140 million to the United Kingdom on the first day under a zero-duty arrangement. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal gave this figure as the government’s day-one trade update.
The development matters because it shows the immediate commercial use of a trade agreement. The actual exam value lies in what a free-trade arrangement can do for export competitiveness, tariff reduction, and bilateral economic ties.
Background and earlier position
Why this matters for UPSC
The India–U.K. CETA maps directly to GS2 and GS3. It can support questions on trade agreements, external sector policy, and India’s strategy to expand export markets through negotiated market access rather than unilateral tariff policy.
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