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- A new free trade agreement could see a boost to iconic UK cricket exports
- The latest round of talks initiated by the Commerce Secretary in New Delhi concluded positively
- It comes as England’s T20 World Cup-winning men’s players took part in the Indian Premier League auction for next season yesterday (Friday, December 23).
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries could lead to a huge increase in exports of cricket bats and pads from the UK to India next season.
The latest round of talks on the deal, initiated in person by the trade secretary, concluded in New Delhi last week.
The agreement seeks to reduce red tape and tariffs for businesses, which could include reducing the current 20% tariff on cricket bats and pads made in the UK.
Any reduction could benefit iconic British brands such as Gunn & Moore, whose bats are used by England captain Ben Stokes and have traded with India for more than a century.
The Nottingham-based firm, which uses English willow in its bats and exports both wooden bat ‘clefts’ and fully made bats to India, welcomed the talks, saying the tariff cuts would help its business.
UK exports of English willow to India, bought by Indian companies to make bats used by players at all levels of the game, were worth more than £6 million a year between 2018 and 2020 and are currently subject to a 10% tariff.
An FTA could cut or even eliminate these taxes, along with a range of duties on other exports that would help UK firms expand in the economy as they look to become the world’s third largest by 2050.
The latest round of talks concluded yesterday (Friday, December 23), a week ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, in which teams bid for players such as Stokes and some of his England ICC T20 Men’s World Cup-winning squad. Represent them next season.
Exports Minister Andrew Bowie said:
English cricket is rightly proud of its world champion players – but also of our brilliant exports like Willow who hit boundaries with the bat all over the world.
We look forward to concluding an ambitious trade deal with India today that helps all types of UK exporters achieve their sales targets and sell a growing volume of British goods and services to India, worth £12 billion over 12 months. June.
Gunn & Moore Sales Director Richard Lowy said:
Gunn & Moore Cricket fully supports the UK-India trade deal and hopes for a very positive outcome for both countries.
Clare Connor, interim CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said:
England and India have long shared a passion for cricket that extends beyond the boundaries of the game. We are fortunate to have a sport that not only inspires millions of people from both countries but also creates opportunities to compete and learn from each other in a big tournament like IPL and brings us all closer together.
Shri Jai Shah, Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India said:
Since 1932, when India played its first Test against England at Lord’s, the Indo-UK cricketing bond has grown stronger with each passing year.
While India enjoys tremendous support in England, English players have been crowd favorites in India and are definitely on the shopping list of IPL franchises.
The current UK-India trade relationship is already worth over £29 billion and UK-India investment supports around half a million jobs in both countries.
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