India-UK CETA delays put Scotch whisky duty cuts in limbo; Johnnie Walker, Chivas pricing on hold
Implementation of the India-UK trade pact is stalled over UK steel safeguards and CBAM, delaying scheduled tariff cuts on Scotch whisky from 150% to 75% at rollout, stepping down to 40% by year 10. India is signaling it may rebalance concessions on Diageo's Johnnie Walker, Pernod's Chivas Regal, and The Glenlivet if UK concerns persist.
What happened
India-UK CETA implementation faces delays over UK steel safeguards and CBAM. India may rebalance duty concessions on Scotch whisky (Johnnie Walker, Chivas,
Key facts
- 150% to 75%
- 40% in year 10
- USD 775 million
- USD 893.4 million
- USD 13.4 billion
Why this matters
Revisit India route-to-market structures—bottled-in-origin vs. bulk imports, JV equity, and local bottling capex—since prolonged 150% duties favor accelerating BIO partnerships over waiting on CETA-driven landed-cost economics.