Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK minister lauds British apple exports to India for first time in 50 years

UK minister lauds British apple exports to India for first time in 50 years

UK INTERNATIONAL trade secretary Liz Truss has lauded exports of apples from England to India, for the first time in half a century, as a sign of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership in action.

Truss said on Twitter over the weekend that the exports of the fruits from a farm in south-east England marked a first for the UK-India trade relationship in 50 years. Her post came in response to a tweet by UK parliamentary undersecretary of state (international trade) Ranil Jayawardena who shared details of his visit to the AC Goatham and Son apple firm in Kent.


“Our apples are now on the way to India for the first time in 50 years thanks to the Enhanced Trade Partnership,” Truss said.

The Enhanced Trade Partnership between the two countries, seen as a precursor to a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), was agreed by prime minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during their virtual meeting in May.

GettyImages 1163945664 FILE PHOTO: Prime minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, on August 25, 2019. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell - Pool/Getty Images)

The meeting was followed up by the formal signing of the agreement by Truss and Indian commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal. It sets a target to double UK-India bilateral trade by 2030.

“India is an outlet that we’ve looked at for a number of years but unfortunately we were precluded at the time because of a ban running back to the 70s,” AC Goatham and Son co-owner Ross Goatham told the UK department of trade.

“With the announcements made the other week of the trade deal, we were pretty much straight on the front foot and I think we’ve had about 20 Indian firms contact us recently, asking if they can buy our apples,” he said.

Jayawardena said during his visit to the farm that the move reflected the UK government’s post-Brexit strategy of expanding Britain’s export markets.

'Another barrier brought down'

“The fact that we have taken back control of our trade policy means real benefits for British farmers and for British food growers and for all British industry, frankly. Another barrier brought down. Our apples can be exported to India for the first time in over 50 years,” he said.

The UK government in May launched a 14-week consultation to seek viewpoints of the public and business before formal negotiations on a UK-India FTA start later this year.

London says it wants a deal with New Delhi that will slash barriers to doing business with India’s £2trillion economy and market of more than a billion consumers. This includes doing away with tariffs of up to 150 per cent on whiskey and 125 per cent on British-made cars, among other products.

The UK department of trade said the aim of the FTA with India is also to enable British services firms to operate in the Indian market.

Trade between the UK and India stands at around £23 billion and both countries want to double it under the ‘Roadmap 2030’ – the plan to deepen cooperation between the two nations across a number of key areas.

More For You

Nirmala Sitharaman

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure would be simplified from four slabs to two, with reductions across several sectors. (Photo: Getty Images)

India cuts consumption taxes, simplifies structure into two slabs

INDIA announced a major cut in consumption taxes on Wednesday, days after the United States imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods.

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure would be simplified from four slabs to two, with reductions across several sectors. In some cases, levies have been reduced by more than half.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jio Platforms

Jio Platforms includes India’s largest telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, with more than 500 million users. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Jio IPO planned for mid-2026, AI unit announced with Meta and Google

RELIANCE Industries plans to take its telecom and digital arm, Jio Platforms, public by mid-2026, chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Friday. The announcement sets a new timeline for the long-awaited IPO of a business analysts value at over $100 billion.

At its annual general meeting (AGM), Reliance also announced the launch of an artificial intelligence unit in partnership with Google and Meta.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asda tech overhaul

Asda sales fell 0.2 per cent in the three months to June 30, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Asda boss hails tech overhaul as key to revival despite sales slump

THE chairman of Asda has admitted the supermarket chain still faces challenges after sales slipped again over the summer, but said the completion of a major IT overhaul was crucial for its recovery.

Allan Leighton told the Times that the long-delayed technology project, called Project Future, had finally been finished after years of setbacks and costs exceeding £1 billion. The work involved separating more than 2,500 systems inherited from former owner Walmart, following Asda’s 2021 takeover by TDR Capital.

Keep ReadingShow less
JLR-Getty

A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

UK car exports to US rebound after trade deal

UK VEHICLE exports to the United States rose in July after a new trade deal between London and Washington reduced tariffs, industry data showed on Thursday.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), exports increased 6.8 per cent in July to nearly 10,000 units, following three consecutive months of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less
Relatives of jailed Briton appeal to UK minister in AgustaWestland row

Christian Michel

Relatives of jailed Briton appeal to UK minister in AgustaWestland row

THE family of Christian Michel, the British businessman accused of acting as a middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, has appealed to the UK government to push for his release from Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

Michel’s relatives met Foreign Office minister Catherine West in London on Tuesday (26). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the minister listened to their concerns and updated them on ongoing steps being taken.

Keep ReadingShow less