Britain’s most significant trade agreement since leaving the EU came into effect this week, and the North is moving quickly to make something of it. The UK–India Free Trade Agreement entered into force on 15 July, and as GOV.UK confirmed, it liberalises tariffs on 99% of UK exports and 90% of Indian ones, with bilateral trade forecast to rise by £25.5bn a year in the long run.
Why this one matters for smaller firms
Trade deals usually favour large exporters with the legal budgets to exploit them. This one was drafted with an unusual feature: a standalone chapter dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises, committing both countries to transparency, contact points and information-sharing designed specifically to help smaller firms navigate the other market. As the British Chambers of Commerce noted in marking the deal’s start, that focus on SMEs is what could make it broadly felt rather than narrowly captured.
There is a practical catch worth flagging. Businesses cannot simply start claiming the lower tariffs: they must first complete a one-time registration with HMRC through the Origin Registration portal. Any Northern exporter intending to trade with India should do that now — the benefit is not automatic.
The North goes together
The more interesting regional development is what follows in the autumn. Northern leaders will travel to India in October 2026 under The Great North banner, with a delegation drawing together civic and business leaders, universities and regional partners from the Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, the North East, and Cheshire and Warrington.
That is the part worth paying attention to. Historically, Northern city regions have pitched to international investors separately and competitively, arriving as a series of mid-sized places rather than a single proposition. The Great North partnership — which earlier this year presented a joint £14bn pipeline of investable projects — reverses that. Sixteen million people with combined strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, defence, AI and life sciences is a story worth an Indian boardroom’s attention. Six competing delegations is not.
From agreement to activity
A trade deal is only ever permission to try. What converts it into orders is unglamorous work: matching Northern manufacturers to Indian buyers, briefing firms on customs, helping first-time exporters through registration. A coordinated October mission with universities and combined authorities alongside businesses is the right vehicle. The tariffs came down this week; whether the North’s exporters actually gain will be settled over the next couple of years, one company at a time.
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