
Seafood exports from India to the United Kingdom are set to triple over the next three years following the elimination of export duty under the newly signed India-UK trade agreement, industry stakeholders said.
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed in July 2025, removes the 8.9 per cent export duty on marine products, making Indian seafood nearly 9 per cent cheaper for British buyers. Industry leaders expect this to significantly boost India’s competitiveness in the $5.4 billion UK seafood market.
India currently holds a modest 2.2 per cent share in the UK seafood import market, valued at around ₹1,000 crore. With the removal of the export levy, exporters estimate this figure could rise to nearly ₹3,000 crore within three years.
“We are projecting a 300 per cent increase in exports to the UK, going from the current ₹1,000 crore to ₹3,000 crore,” said Jagdish Fofandi, Gujarat-based exporter and former vice-president of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
“This will make Indian seafood significantly more attractive compared to competing countries,” he said.
Gujarat, with a coastline of nearly 2,300 kilometres, stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the trade deal. The state contributes heavily to India’s seafood exports, particularly shrimp from South Gujarat and sea fish from the Saurashtra region.
“Shrimp accounts for around 70 percent of India’s seafood exports. With challenges in markets like the US, the UK will help absorb some of the supply pressure, especially from South Gujarat’s shrimp farming industry,” Fofandi noted.
Certain fish varieties from Saurashtra have also gained popularity among the Indian and Chinese diaspora in the UK, further improving prospects for regional exporters.
“This trade agreement will eventually help fishermen secure better prices for their catch as demand rises,” said Ketan Suyani, regional president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
According to Suyani, Gujarat’s current seafood exports are worth around ₹5,000 crore, with Europe accounting for nearly 40 percent of that, while the Gulf, China and other Far East countries make up the rest.
The India-UK CETA grants duty-free access to 99 percent of India’s exports to the UK, covering nearly the entire value of trade between the two nations. It also benefits labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, toys, as well as high-growth sectors like engineering goods, chemicals and auto components.
The seafood sector, already a critical foreign exchange earner for India, is expected to gain fresh momentum with improved price realisation for fisherfolk and increased volume for exporters.
“This is a major win for Gujarat’s fishing ecosystem, including farmers, traders, and processors. The increase in quantity will naturally lead to better price discovery at the local level,” Suyani added.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)