India, July 16 -- Indian exporters will be able to ship over 11 lakh tonnes of steel annually to the UK duty-free under the free trade agreement, which came into force on Wednesday, through a combination of country-specific and residual quotas, an official said.

The UK's March steel safeguard measures had become a major sticking point in implementing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which was signed on July

24, 2025. The resolution of the issue has paved the way for the implementation of the agreement from July 15.

Overall, 188 steel items accounting for $137 million worth of steel exports from India to Britain were covered by these safeguard measures. India's total steel exports were $960 million in 2025.

To pro...