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Considering India is slowly evolving to be the world’s fastest-growing economy, the United Kingdom is one of the few countries that are regular and dedicated importers of goods from India.
India is one of the leading producers and providers of all things essential – petroleum products, jewellery, electronics, machinery, apparel, and pharmaceutical products, and thus there is no surprise that exports to the UK have been skyrocketing over the past couple of years.
Quick Trivia: UK imports from India increased by 11.2% or £2.3 billion as of Q4 2023, compared to the four quarters of 2022.
You must have the following documents to export your products to the UK:
Are you planning to export your products from India to the UK? In that case, you need to furnish a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) in form GST RFD-11 on the GST portal. This document serves as a powerful tool for all registered taxpayers who do not want any obligation of immediate tax payment.
An export license is a government document that grants permission to conduct a specific export transaction. It contains the list of goods you are allowed to export.
A certificate of origin establishes evidence of the origin of goods imported into any country. As an exporter, you need to prove where your goods are coming from. This document is used for custom purposes, especially when a tariff or import duty is required.
An airway bill is nothing but a document issued by any carrier company with details related to the shipment of goods, including the name of the consignor, consignee, point of origin of goods, destination port, and route of transit.
The commercial export invoice is used by customs houses to declare exported goods, both at the origin and the destination ports. It includes the following parameters on the document –
The Shipper’s Letter of Instruction (SLI) is a document filed by the exporter (here in India), which is then issued to the freight partner that handles the transport of products henceforth on the exporter’s behalf. This document helps to convey transportation and documentation instructions to the logistic partner involved in the shipping. If you’re shipping to the UK, an SLI is recommended in the documentation.
Apart from these documents, other documents required are a packing list, letter of credit (LOC), and airway bill. Depending on the type of commodity shipped, there might be a need to submit specific product-based paperwork, such as a drug license in case of pharmaceutical exports.
This certificate ensures that the exported goods have passed the standards set by the Legal Metrology Act of 2009.
A certificate of inspection is a trade document issued by an independent inspection firm after the examination of goods being exported. This certificate is only required for specific consumer goods such as electronic goods, commodities such as bulk oil shipments or bulk scrap shipments, luxury items, and hardlines and softlines.
The product you want to export to the UK must be examined by customs authorities to ensure compliance with regulations and verify its declared value. Based on this, the customs authorities determine the product’s eligibility for export.
The duty de minimis while exporting to the UK is £ 135 on orders of any value. Moreover, a 20% VAT is levied on all imports into the land of football’s origin, including any imports from India. Low-value goods must submit VAT while exporting to the UK.
While exporting to any foreign country, it is advisable to know all about the prohibited and restricted items as per country-wise import regulations. When India exports to the UK, the following items are prohibited and restricted, respectively: –
India’s deliveries to the United Kingdom have a comparatively faster delivery time than most countries. Most times, India to UK shipments get delivered within the time span of three to eight days, especially ones to the cities of London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Furthermore, the air freight mode of shipping is a more reliable option while when exporting from India to the UK since it ensures faster deliveries, secure shipping for larger loads, and insured shipments, all at affordable shipping rates.
India exported $1.2B worth of goods to the United Kingdom in February 2024. Now, if we compare the exports to the UK from India between February 2023 and February 2024, it has increased by $288M (31.7%), from $908M to $1.2B.
These were the top exports to the UK from India:
In February 2024, the increase in India’s year-by-year exports to the UK was explained primarily by an increase in product exports in:
India is one of the biggest exporters of numerous products to the UK. Here is a list of the top exports of 2022 along with the value they brought to India’s economy:
| India Exports to UK | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical, electronic equipment | $1.30B | 2022 |
| Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers | $1.19B | 2022 |
| Articles of apparel, crocheted or not knit | $773.00M | 2022 |
| Oils, mineral fuels, and distillation products | $740.03M | 2022 |
| Precious stones, coins, pearls, and metals | $700.51M | 2022 |
| Articles of apparel, knit or crocheted | $688.75M | 2022 |
| Pharmaceutical products | $534.36M | 2022 |
| Articles of iron or steel | $359.10M | 2022 |
| Footwear and gaiters | $329.94M | 2022 |
| Organic chemicals | $282.28M | 2022 |
International trade between India and the UK dates back centuries and has grown steadily over the years. In 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to strengthen trade cooperation. This enhanced trade partnership eradicated numerous trade barriers and made trade easy after executing the free trade agreement.
There are various potential benefits associated when India’s exports to the UK. Some of them include:
The UK is the 3rd largest eCommerce market in the world, after the US, which means there are very high chances of creating a dedicated base of customers for your business, that too, for the longer run. The maximum number of orders are being observed to have arrived from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Southampton.
The legal and administrative regulations in India and the UK are almost similar, which makes it easier for the UK to trade with India. For example, restricted commodities like antiques, plants & plant products, precious metals, gemstones, and artworks may require a special import license to be brought into the UK.
Payment is perhaps the most significant part of any form of eCommerce transaction. Luckily, for most export orders into the UK, all modes of prepaid payments are accepted, such as PayPal, credit cards, and debit cards.
All popular shipping companies in our country export to the UK with ease, including FedEx, Aramex, One World, DHL and UPS. All these companies dedicate a Customs House Agent (CHA) to assist you with the exporting procedure from India.
It depends on the type and value of goods you are exporting. If you are exporting goods under £135, the UK does not charge anything as import duty. For goods between £135 to £630, the import duty is 2.5%, which can be even lower for some products. For any product costing more than £630, the price may extensively fluctuate depending on the type, volume, and location of sending or receiving the goods. To check the exact rate, you can check the HS code of the specific goods you want to export.
India and UK trade relations date back 75 years, and with the plan of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement in the loop, the relationship is predicted to continue for another 75, and more. If you’re someone interested in exports to the UK, or it is your first time doing so, you can always approach in-country allies, such as the U.S. Commercial Service offices, trade missions, and chambers of commerce.
You can also partner with an affordable international shipping service, ShiprocketX, which provides the most reliable air freight shipping service to the UK. With minimum documentation, hassle-free end-to-end shipping solutions, and maximum security for your shipments, you can send B2B shipments without any weight restrictions.
The top 7 products that India exports to the UK include electrical & electronic items, engineering goods, petroleum products, cotton and other fabrics, gems & jewelry, organic chemicals, and pharmaceutical products.
The top 5 UK export markets for goods and services include the United States (20.9%), Germany (6.8%), Netherlands (6.8%), Ireland (6.5%), and France (5.2%).
The United States is India’s largest trading partner, with a total trade volume of over $71.39 billion in 2023.
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