Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Tata Steel Warns UK Jobs at Risk from India-UK FTA
Tata Steel, a big company that makes steel, is worried about its factories in the UK.
They say a new trade deal between India and the UK might make it hard for them to keep making steel in the UK because India can now send more steel to the UK without paying extra taxes.
This could mean fewer jobs for people in the UK who work in steel factories.
But the UK government thinks the trade deal will help both countries make more money and create new jobs in other areas.
Some people in India think the deal will create a lot of jobs there too.
So, while Tata Steel is worried, others are hopeful about the good things the trade deal might bring.
Tata Steel warns that the India-UK FTA could make UK steel manufacturing unsustainable and threaten jobs.
The FTA increases India's duty-free steel export quota to the UK to 125,000 tonnes per year.
Tata Steel produces 600,000 tonnes of galvanised steel annually in the UK.
The FTA is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually.
The FTA could create 7-10 lakh jobs in India's labor-intensive sectors over the next five years.
- Who
- Tata Steel, UK and Indian governments, Indian and UK steel industries
- What
- Concerns over the impact of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement on UK steel jobs
- When
- The FTA came into effect on July 15
- Where
- United Kingdom and India
- Why
- The FTA includes increased duty-free steel export quotas for India, which Tata Steel warns could threaten UK steel jobs and manufacturing sustainability.
Tata Steel's Concerns
Government and Industry Optimism
Impact on UK Steel Industry
Tata Steel's Concerns
Tata Steel warns that increased duty-free steel imports from India could make UK manufacturing sites unsustainable and threaten jobs.
Government and Industry Optimism
The UK government expects the FTA to boost bilateral trade and create jobs in various sectors.
Job Creation
Tata Steel's Concerns
Tata Steel's concerns focus on potential job losses in the UK steel sector.
Government and Industry Optimism
The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) predicts the FTA could create 7-10 lakh jobs in India's labor-intensive sectors over the next five years.
- Effective Date of FTA
- July 15
- India's Duty-Free Steel Export Quota to UK
- 125,000 tonnes per year
- Tata Steel's Annual Galvanised Steel Production in UK
- 600,000 tonnes
- Expected Boost in Bilateral Trade
- £25.5 billion annually
- Expected GDP Boost for India
- £5.1 billion annually
- Expected GDP Boost for UK
- £4.8 billion annually