India-UK CETA and its rules of origin: a new chapter in India’s preferential trade architecture
Editorial note: With the EU-India FTA near conclusion and the UK-India CETA entering into force on 15 July 2026, exporters to India face a market that is liberalising at the border while tightening on origin. Using the newly notified UK-India rules of origin as a working template for how India treats preferences, this article walks through what actually determines whether your goods receive them: the shift from 'certificate of origin' to 'proof of origin'; de-minimis, cumulation and non-Party operations; the verification machinery, temporary suspension and five-year records; and the sector traps that quietly disqualify goods - all layered over India's own customs rules (CAROTAR) gatekeeper regime. The through-line is a single, unforgiving principle: the preferential rate is a conditional entitlement, not an automatic one - every claim stands or falls on the origin file behind it, and origin disputes are rarely lost on the law; they are lost on the file.
Related content
EU-Mercosur agreement 2026: rules of origin, tariffs & practical compliance guide
The EU-Mercosur agreement entered provisional application on 1 May 2026, bringing new preferential origin rules and a gradual tariff elimination schedule that customs and trade compliance teams need to apply…
Rules of origin under free trade agreements: compliance vs usability
According to the European Commission’s report, trade agreements have strengthened the EU’s global competitiveness, improved EU companies’ access to third-country markets, and supported exports in key sectors. However, their full…
FTAs vs GSP: understanding key differences and practical implications for companies
This article explores the practical differences between free trade agreements (FTAs) and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) scheme. As they operate in fundamentally different ways, they also influence internal…
New US tariffs and origin of goods
All products originating in the UK are now subject to a baseline US tariff of 10%. Compare this with the tariffs levied against the EU (20%) and China (54%) and…
UCC change for US imports: proof of origin now includes direct transport
Since 1 July 2026, most industrial goods originating in the United States enter the EU duty-free, and a range of US agricultural and seafood products benefit from tariff quotas. Importers…
Brexit - Double Tax Trap: Origin \ Status
Brexit has created a "double tax trap" in which some companies end up paying customs duty twice on the same EU-origin goods. This recording, from the European Customs Practitioners' Conference,…