New British government to resume trade talks with India and other partners

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s new government said on Monday it would resume negotiations on free trade agreements (FTAs) with India and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party returned to government after 14 years in opposition following a landslide victory in the July 4 election, has made economic growth the central mission of his government.

Trade negotiations were halted during the elections.

“Resuming talks is the first step towards securing the high-quality trade deals the UK needs to give businesses access to international markets, create jobs and deliver that growth,” the government said in a statement.

The Commerce Department said the first round of negotiations under the new administration is expected to take place in the fall, with new talks scheduled to be held with Israel, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.

Britain already has free trade agreements with those four countries, which were extended when the country left the European Union in 2020. Talks had previously begun to update the agreements.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)