AIKS Demands Immediate Suspension of Indo- UK FTA (CETA)

New Delhi: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has strongly opposed the Indo -UK Free Trade Agreement, formally signed on July 24, 2025, calling for its immediate suspension. In a detailed statement, AIKS warned that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will intensify India’s ongoing agrarian crisis, disproportionately benefit corporate giants like Adani and Ambani, and further undermine the already fragile livelihoods of small and marginal farmers.

Citing past experiences such as the India -ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, AIKS noted the devastating consequences for Kerala’s rubber farmers, where prices of raw rubber sheets collapsed from 240 rupees to 70 rupees per kilo in 2011, leading to an annual loss of 7,840 crore rupees and a 42 per cent drop in production. The organisation fears a repeat of such devastation with CETA, given the long list of agricultural products, including marine items, fruits, vegetables, spices, and processed foods, slated for steep tariff cuts.

“The Modi government is promoting CETA as a boon to farmers, but past trade deals have only benefited large exporters and crony capitalists,” the statement said. “Without state support for infrastructure, technology absorption, and input subsidies, India’s farmers cannot compete with heavily subsidised Western agri-businesses.”

AIKS pointed out that while the UK exports value- added and processed goods, India’s agricultural trade remains a minuscule portion of total bilateral trade. The agreement, it warned, could trigger a flood of imports and drain domestic agricultural resources, worsening the trade imbalance.

AIKS also flagged concerns over potential violations of rules of origin, as seen in other FTAs, where products not genuinely from partner countries enter the Indian market under reduced tariffs.

The organisation criticised India’s willingness to use applied tariff rates as the base for cuts, rates significantly lower than WTO -bound rates, thus granting deeper concessions than required under multilateral trade rules. This, AIKS warned, undermines hard-won flexibilities at the WTO and leaves Indian agriculture more exposed.

Accusing the Modi government of eroding multilateral trade governance and blindly following developed nations’ agendas, AIKS said bilateral deals like CETA represent a shift toward “new forms of colonisation.” It called the FTA a tactical ploy to weaken political resistance, cautioning that its long-term impact could include gradual inclusion of core agricultural products and expanded market access for Western agribusiness.

“The promise that export liberalisation will benefit Indian farmers has proven hollow over three decades,” said AIKS leaders Vijoo Krishnan (General Secretary) and Ashok Dhawale (President). “Instead, it has increased import dependence on essential commodities like edible oils, pulses, and rubber.”

AIKS urged all political parties to oppose CETA and defend India’s food sovereignty, calling the FTA a direct threat to the peasantry and domestic agriculture.