Jaipur: Rajasthan’s gems and jewellery industry exports are expected to get a big boost after the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom. Under this agreement, all tariffs on precious and inexpensive jewellery have been abolished. Rajasthan is a major exporter of gems and jewellery to the UK, with the industry estimating the volume to be around 5%.Currently, the industry faces customs duty of 2% to 4% on export of precious metal jewellery, while this duty is 4% on jewellery made of cheaper metals, said former chairman of Gem and Jewellery Exports Promotion Council (GJEPC) Rajiv Jain. After the FTA comes into force, these duties will become zero.The items on which duty has been abolished through this agreement include pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, precious metals, and artificial jewellery.Textile industry in Rajasthan will also benefit from zero duty access to the UK market, as earlier there was import duty of up to 12%.Zakir Hussain, former president of Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR), said, “The new tariff regime will increase export possibilities of Rs 3,000-5,000 crore. Rajasthan will be able to compete better with India’s neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, and others in the apparel and home textiles sector.”