After the sweeping election victory of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, what comes uppermost in the minds of those in authority in New Delhi is the future economic and trade relations between the two countries. Yes, there is a possibility of New Delhi forging a trade agreement with the UK post BREXIT. The legislation introduced by Johnson in Parliament for the purpose got cleared easily, setting the UK on course to leave the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020, as planned. Beginning February 1, EU and British officials will engage in intense regotiations on the future trade relations between the divorcing partners. There is a transition period until the end of 2020 in which the UK will continue to follow the EU rules. Johnson is unlikely to seek an extension. The British Government will have to decide by July 1, if it wants to postpone the December 21, 2020 deadline. Against this background, New Delhi should first step up efforts to conclude the proposed long- pending Broad-Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BITA) with the EU. It is a must to fend off competition and be on par with Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Pakistan in respect of duty free access of textiles and garments in the EU. Simultaneously, EUs specialised textiles products will also be able to enter the Indian market duty free.

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