DGFT invites 2027 tariff rate quota applications under India-UK trade pact for passenger cars and transport vehicles

Key facts

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on November 6, 2026 invited fresh applications for allocation of tariff rate quota (TRQ) under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) for calendar year 2027, open from November 6 to November 21, 2026.
• Applications are invited for a 2027 quota of 24,500 passenger cars with different engine capacities and 2,750 transport vehicles.
• The India-UK CETA came into effect on July 15, 2026.
• In September 2026, the DGFT approved applications from seven companies to import 642 cars from Britain for the remainder of 2026 under the TRQ provisions.
• Under the CETA, India has allowed import of a total of 3.78 lakh units of conventional-engine passenger cars from the UK at concessional customs duty during the first 15 years of the pact's implementation.
• Under the pact, tariffs on automotive imports will fall from about 110 per cent to 10 per cent, with quotas on both sides.
• Only Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), dealers and channel partners duly authorised by OEMs of vehicles originating in the UK were eligible to apply for the TRQ.