India pushes for UK carbon tax exemption in free trade agreement (FTA) talks | trade policy

India is demanding exemption from Britain's planned carbon tax as part of negotiations to finalize a free trade agreement before the UK election.

India's negotiating team held surprise talks in London this week to overcome remaining obstacles to reaching an agreement.

Rishi Sunak is keen to get a trade deal done and hoped it would be done last month.

India used Sunak's limited time left ahead of the general election as a bargaining chip. British government officials say Indian negotiators say they have five years to plan ahead, but the current government has only five months.

The talks are taking place as India's six-week general election campaign begins soon, starting Friday. Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to claim its third successive victory in the Indian polls. Meanwhile, British opinion polls predict Sunak's Conservatives will lose.

India's Commerce Minister said on Monday there were few outstanding issues and the deal was close to being finalized.

A British government official who was briefed on the progress of the talks said that India had requested exemption from Britain's planned Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on the basis that it is a developing country.

In the early stages of the talks, India raised concerns about the application of CBAM scheme tax on imports of carbon-intensive goods such as steel, glass and fertilizers. This tax will affect Indian steelmakers wanting to export to the UK.

The decision to exempt India from carbon tax is controversial. The scheme is designed to reduce emissions and support UK steel producers by leveling the playing field with countries with low or no carbon levies.

This week's discussions continue the 14th round of formal negotiations between the UK and India. The round was declared closed last month ahead of India's election campaign, but a second British government official said it had remained open at India's request.

This week's discussions involving India's top trade negotiator were kept secret in Britain but were reported in Indian media.

India has also been demanding more concessions on visas and social security arrangements for Indian workers, long-standing issues in the negotiations. The London talks are scheduled to conclude on Friday but may continue remotely next week.

Ahead of Monday's meeting, India's Commerce Minister Sunil Barthwal told the media: One team will be traveling to England this week. There are few issues left for negotiation. Several key priority issues to close the deal are being addressed to achieve a balanced outcome.

India is a notoriously hardliner when it comes to trade negotiations. Last month, the government signed a $79 billion trade deal with the European Free Trade Association, made up of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, 16 years after talks began.

The UK and India began trade talks in January 2022 when Boris Johnson was prime minister. Johnson said he had hoped to complete the deal by Diwali in October 2022, but the deadline had been exceeded by 18 months.

A Department of Commerce spokesperson said: The UK and India continue to work on an ambitious trade deal that benefits both countries. While we won't comment on the details of live negotiations, there are no plans to change immigration policy to achieve this free trade agreement. The Business and Trade Secretary has always been clear that he will only sign deals that are fair, balanced and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and economy.

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