$28.7bn
UK T&A imports 2024
~6%
$1.7bn
India's share
$5.9bn
still paying duty
China
$3.7bn
no duty advantage over you now
Bangladesh
THE SHIFT
For twenty years Indian garments carried up to 12% UK duty while Bangladesh and Vietnam shipped free. That ended on 15 July 2026. India now matches their duty status and undercuts China by roughly 12% on landed cost. Major British high-street retailers spent the months before entry into force auditing factories in Tirupur and Ludhiana. The buyers are moving; the question is whether they find you.
What wins first
- Knitwear and ready-made garments
- Home textiles and made-ups
- Women's cotton apparel
- Carpets and rugs
YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
- 1Re-quote every UK prospect duty-free
- 2Get Certificate of Origin ready
- 3Lead outreach with Sedex / GOTS / OEKO-TEX credentials
- 4Target UK companies newly importing your codes (Buyer Signals shows exactly who)
- 5Consider UK consignment stock for basics
6109·T-shirts, knitted·12%→0%0306·Frozen shrimp·up to 20%→0%6403·Leather footwear·16%→0%8708·Auto components·up to 4.5%→0%0902·Tea·duty free→0%1006·Basmati rice·up to 46%→0%7113·Gold jewellery·2.5%→0%5701·Wool carpets·8%→0%1605·Prepared prawns·20%→0%8482·Ball bearings·8%→0%9503·Toys·4.7%→0%0901·Roasted coffee·7.5%→0%6109·T-shirts, knitted·12%→0%0306·Frozen shrimp·up to 20%→0%6403·Leather footwear·16%→0%8708·Auto components·up to 4.5%→0%0902·Tea·duty free→0%1006·Basmati rice·up to 46%→0%7113·Gold jewellery·2.5%→0%5701·Wool carpets·8%→0%1605·Prepared prawns·20%→0%8482·Ball bearings·8%→0%9503·Toys·4.7%→0%0901·Roasted coffee·7.5%→0%