Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Scotch whisky looks at 'golden opportunity' as UK, India start trade talks

Scotch whisky looks at 'golden opportunity' as UK, India start trade talks
India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and British Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan pose for a picture during the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between the United Kingdom and India during an event at a hotel in New Delhi, India, January 13, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Britain and India began hammering out a post-Brexit trade deal on Thursday, with London seeking a cut in tariffs on Scotch whisky and greater access to the Asian giant's services and tech sectors.

New Delhi, which is notoriously reticent about lowering trade barriers and was dubbed the ‘tariff king’ by former US president Donald Trump, wants in return to make it easier and cheaper for Indians to obtain British visas.


A joint statement after Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and British Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan formally launched the talks in Delhi reiterated a target of doubling bilateral trade volumes by 2030.

“Both sides have agreed that we will focus initially on areas which are of mutual benefit and where there is less disagreement, and for which we have set a very aggressive timeline of next few months,” Goyal told reporters.

“We feel confident that there is so much complementarity between the two economies that we should easily be able to come up with a very substantive agreement in the initial phase... I think we are committed to concluding this negotiation in about a year's time,” he said.

“The UK has world-class businesses and expertise we can rightly be proud of, from Scotch whisky distillers to financial services and cutting-edge renewable technology,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

“We are seizing the opportunities offered in growing economies of the Indo-Pacific to cement our place on the global stage and deliver jobs and growth at home,” he said.

Britain has struck trade deals with Japan, New Zealand and Australia as it attempts to compensate for falling trade volumes with the European Union since it left the bloc in January 2020.

The total volume of trade at stake in a deal between Britain and India is small fry, however, equivalent to about three percent of London's total volume of commerce with the EU, Bloomberg News reported.

New Delhi's push to ease the granting of UK visas for Indian nationals may also fall foul with Brexit supporters who were keen to cut immigration.

Conservative lawmaker Edward Leigh told parliament last week that "working-class voters who voted Brexit did not vote to replace immigration from Europe with more immigration from the rest of the world".

Tariffs of up to 150 per cent

Scotch whisky producers are eagerly looking at the discussions, as the UK Government is striving to slash duties of up to 150 per cent on whisky exports, offering a boost to distilleries and the whole spirits industry.

“Launching UK/India trade talks offers a golden opportunity to reach an ambitious tariff reduction in an early harvest deal that could grow Scotch Whisky exports to India by £1 billion over five years,” Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said.

“Tackling the tariff and State level regulatory issues would open the market up to smaller producers who are effectively locked out by the substantial barriers to trade.”

Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord added: “Home to 1.4 billion consumers and one of the world’s fastest growing economies, India holds enormous potential for Scottish businesses as part of an ambitious new trade deal.

“On a recent visit to Mumbai, I saw first-hand how Scotland’s distilleries would benefit from the removal of tariffs as high as 150 per cent on whisky. Our thriving services sector would also receive a welcome boost. I look forward to talks with India progressing as we negotiate new global trading relationships for the benefit of people and businesses across the UK.”

The UK government said a deal has the potential to almost double UK exports to India, boost the total trade by as much as £28 billion a year by 2035, and increase wages across the UK by up to £3 billion. Investment from Indian companies already supports 95,000 jobs across the UK.

More for you

Glenshire Group appoints Dan Arrandale as property director

Glenshire Group appoints Dan Arrandale as property director

Scottish business conglomerate Glenshire Group has hired Daniel Arrandale as its new Property Director.

Starting in the newly created role last week, Arrandale brings a wealth of industry experience to the business, including his most recent position as Acquisitions Manager for Asda and his previous position as Development Manager at EG Group.

Keep ReadingShow less
Carlsberg Zero
Competition watchdog begins Carlsberg, Britvic merger probe
Competition watchdog begins Carlsberg, Britvic merger probe

Carlsberg shifts marketing focus as drinkers choose cheaper beer

Brewer Carlsberg is shifting some of its marketing focus to cheaper brands, it said on Thursday (31), as consumers in major markets bought cheaper beer and in reduced quantities.

The maker of Kronenbourg 1664, Tuborg and Somersby said beer sales volumes fell by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, noting declines in China, France and the United Kingdom. Premium sales fell 0.5 per cent in the quarter."In Western Europe, there's no doubt that the average consumer is holding back," CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less
sustainability, zero waste store, refil lzone
Photo: iStock
Photo: iStock

Consumers value ethics though 'sustainability needs to be competitively priced'

Consumers now want a greater commitment from retailers in cutting food waste, refilling stations, sustainable packaging, and partnering with social purpose organisations, states a recent research, which also highlights that a good majority (69 per cent) of younger consumers are more likely to shop with what they see as socially responsible retailers though price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.

According to the findings, published in Vypr’s Consumer Horizon Report, reducing food waste is the most important factor for the majority of UK consumers (29 per cent), especially for Gen Z women aged 18-24 (38 per cent). More than a third (37 per cent) of men aged 18-24 said they needed food storage advice. A similar number of women aged 18-24 (33 per cent) want meal kits with the exact amount of ingredients included for them to cut down on food waste.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sugro-Wn-News.png
Sugro UK
Sugro UK

Sugro UK unveils new B2B digital enhancements to empower members, retailers

Sugro UK, the number one buying and marketing buying group*, in partnership with b2b.store, is thrilled to announce a further expansion of its existing E-Loyalty scheme programme, which has proven to be very popular with its members and retailers, by introducing E-Loyalty Extra Compliance and Execution scheme as well as E-Coupons.

The E-Loyalty Extra is aimed to boost compliance and execution at retail store level to drive new product launches, core range compliance, some exciting fixture trials with its supply partners and more! It will be available to all member owned and member affiliated retail stores within the group.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paulig acquires Panesar Foods

iStock image

Paulig acquires Panesar Foods

Expanding its footprint in the World Foods category, Paulig has acquired Panesar Foods, a prominent UK-based producer of sauces and condiments.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Tipton, Panesar Foods is a family-owned business with three production facilities, employing 308 staff and achieving a turnover of £59 million in the 2023 fiscal year.

Keep ReadingShow less