Trade agreements of the United Kingdom

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See also: Trade agreements of the European Union and United Kingdom–Crown Dependencies Customs Union
UK trade agreements
  United Kingdom, overseas territories and crown dependencies
  Agreements currently in effect
  Agreement in principle or being negotiated

Following its withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom began negotiations on several free trade agreements to remove or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, both to establish new agreements and to replace previous EU trade agreements. Withdrawal ended 47 years of membership during which all its trading agreements were negotiated by the European Commission on behalf of the bloc as a whole. The UK did not actually withdraw from the European Single Market and the European Union Customs Union (and its trade agreements) until 31 December 2020.

As of July 2021, the United Kingdom has concluded four new trade agreements: with Japan; with its biggest trading partner, the EU; New Zealand and with Australia. In addition, it has agreed 35 'trade continuity agreements[a]. [1][2] covering 67 nations by June 2021. In addition, it has begun other negotiations, notably to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The former [needs update] Johnson ministry describes itself as a proponent of free trade.[3][4]

The UK's negotiating team will consult with its Strategic Trade Advisory Group throughout the negotiations.[5]

Competence and ratification process

According to UK law the United Kingdom Parliament has the power to pass law in all policy areas.[6]

Ratification

The responsibility for concluding treaties involving the UK lies with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. This remains the case even when the negotiation of the treaty is led by another government department.[7]

The FCO's Legal Advisers and Treaty Section:

  • must be given the opportunity to comment on the drafts of all treaties under negotiation
  • will advise on the form and substance of the treaty, though not substance which is technical and of which the other government department is the expert
  • will advise on related matters such as the production of Full Powers and Instruments of Ratification
  • will produce original signature copies of treaties and advise on the treaty signing ceremony
  • will arrange for the treaty to be published and laid before Parliament;

is responsible for the registration of these treaties with the UN, allowing their subsequent publication in the United Nations Treaty Series

  • will transfer of the treaties to the National Archives for preservation[7]

Unless expressly authorised to do so by HMG in the UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories do not have the authority to become a party to treaties in their own right. The UK must extend the territorial scope of its ratification of treaties to include them. This is normally done either at the time of ratification, or at some later date.[7]

Obsolete agreements

No Nation (s) Notes Superseded by
1. Norway & Iceland The primary agreement with Iceland & Norway and the separate agreement with Liechtenstein were continuity agreements, these have since been superseded by two separate agreements and then by the current agreement covering all of the above mentioned countries. Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein

Signed agreements

As of 29 December 2020, the UK had 38 trade agreements[8][9]with 97 countries, some through the use of a mutatis mutandis concept, in order to quickly replicate the existing agreements between the EU and these countries, only having to call out those minor areas of differentiation (this allowed some agreements to be reduced to around 40 pages from the original around 1400). Among them are significant economies — by nominal GDP — such as the European Union, South Korea, Switzerland, Israel and South Africa.

Most of these treaties have not formally entered into force on 1 January 2021.[10] However, for many these treaties will be provisionally applied, or through a "bridging mechanism" (exchange of diplomatic notes verbale etc.) continuity is achieved.[10]

No Nation (s) No of nations
represented 		Signed Effective Accession of new countries Treaty number Citation Trade value (2019)
1. Australia 1 17 December 2021 31 December 2022[11] [12][13] £13.9bn

($19.30bn)

2. Albania 1 5 February 2021[14] 14 May 2021[10] Albania 1 (2021) £158m ($216.8m)
3. Andean Community

Colombia (bridging mechanism), Ecuador and Peru (Full ratification)

3 15 May 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 22 (2019) [15][16] £2.9bn

($3.97bn)

4. Cameroon 1 30 December 2020 19 July 2021 (full ratification)[10] Cameroon No.1 (2020) [17] £200m

($273.46m)

5. Canada 1 9 December 2020 19 March 2021 Canada 1 (2020) [18][19] £22.4bn

($30.63bn)

6. CARIFORUM[20] (trade bloc) 16 22 March 2019 1 January 2021 (provisional application)[10] Suriname

5 March 2021

Misc 18 (2019) [21][22] £3.24bn

($4.43bn)

7. Central America 6 18 July 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 32 (2019) [23][24] £1.44bn

($1.97bn)

8. Chile 1 30 January 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 2 (2019) [25] £2.1bn

($2.87bn)

9. Côte d'Ivoire 1 15 October 2020 1 January 2021 Cote d’Ivoire No.1 (2020) [26] £401m

($548.29m)

10. Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) (trade bloc)[27] 3 31 January 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 4 (2019) [28] £1.63bn

($2.23bn)

11. Egypt 1 5 December 2020 1 January 2021
(provisional application) 		Egypt No.1 (2020) [29][10] £3.5bn

($4.79bn)

12. European Union (trade bloc) – (TCA) 27 30 December 2020 1 May 2021
(Full ratification) 		Treaty Series No.8 (2021) [30][31] £660bn

($902.42bn)

13. Faroe Islands 1 31 January 2019 1 January 2021 Denmark 1 (2019) [32] £295m

($403.35m)

14. Georgia 1 21 October 2019 1 January 2021 Georgia 1 (2019) [33] £178m

($243.38m)

15. Ghana 1 5 February 2021[34] (Provisional application) Ghana No.1 (2021) £1.2bn ($1.64bn)
16. Israel 1 18 February 2019 1 January 2021 Israel 1 (2019) [35] £5.13bn

($7.01bn)

17. Japan - (UK - Japan CEPA) 1 23 October 2020 31 December 2020 Japan No.1 (2020) [36] £31.6bn

($43.21bn)

18. Jordan 1 5 November 2019 1 May 2021 Jordan 1 (2019) [37] £534m

($730.14m)

19. Kenya 1 3 November 2020 1 January 2021 Kenya No. 1 (2020) [38] £1.4bn

($1.91bn)

20. Kosovo 1 3 December 2019 1 January 2021 Kosovo 1 (2019) [39] £9m

($12.31m)

21. Lebanon 1 19 September 2019 1 January 2021 Lebanon 1 (2019) [40] £820m

($1.19bn)

22. Mexico 1 15 December 2020 1 June 2021 Mexico 1 (2020) [41][10] £5 bn

($6.84bn)

23. Moldova 1 24 December 2020 1 January 2021 Moldova No. 1 (2021) [42] £395m

($540.08m)

24. Morocco 1 26 October 2019 1 January 2021 Morocco 1 (2019) [43] £2.5bn

($3.42bn)

25. New Zealand 1 28 February 2022 [44] £2.3bn ($3.2bn)
26. North Macedonia 1 3 December 2020 1 January 2021 (provisional application)[10] North Macedonia No. 1 (2020) [45] £1.8bn

($2.46bn)

27. Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein 3 4 June 2021 8 July 2021 MS No.8/2020 [46] £26.7bn

($36.51bn)

28. Pacific States (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Samoa 4 14 March 2019 1 January 2021 Solomon Island

5 January 2021.

Samoa

11 January 2021

Misc 15 (2019) [47][48][49]

[50][51]

£178m

($243.38m)

29. Palestinian Authority 1 18 February 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 14 (2019) [52] £11m

($5.04m)

30. Serbia 1 30 April 2021 14 May 2021 Serbia No.1 (2021) [53] £682m

($942m)

31. Singapore 1 10 December 2020 12 February 2021 Singapore 1 (2020) [54] £17.6bn

($24.06bn)

32. South Korea 1 22 August 2019 1 January 2021 Korea 1 (2019) [55] £11.7bn

($16.00bn)

33. SACUM
(trade bloc) 		6 9 October 2019 1 January 2021 Misc 34 (2019) [56] £12.12bn

($16.57bn)

34. Switzerland 1 11 February 2019 1 January 2021 Switzerland 4 (2019) [57] £38.58bn
35. Tunisia 1 4 October 2019 1 January 2021 Tunisia 1 (2019) [58] £611m

($835.42m)

36. Turkey 1 29 December 2020 1 January 2021 (provisional application)[10] Turkey No.1 (2021) [59] £18.6bn

($25.43bn)

37. Ukraine 1 8 October 2020 1 January 2021 Ukraine No.1 (2020) [60] £1.53bn

($2.09bn)

38. Vietnam 1 10 December 2020 1 January 2021 (provisional application)[10] Vietnam No.1 (2020) [61] £5.7bn

($7.79bn)

Total no of countries or territories the UK applies trade deals with 97 Total value of trade deals signed £910.9bn ($1261.6bn)

65% of total trade

Signed agreements that are being joined by new countries

No Nation (s) Trade agreement being joined Status Citation
1. Angola Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique

(SACUM) (trade bloc)

[62]
2. Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania Kenya [63]

Mutual recognition agreements

Mutual recognition in relation to Conformity assessment, Certificates and Markings

No Nation (s) Signed Citation (s)
1 Australia 18 January 2019 [64]
2 New Zealand 21 January 2019 [65]
3 United States of America 14 February 2019 [66]

Agreements being negotiated

No Nation (s) No of nations repeesented Citation (s) Status Dedicated page Comment
1. Algeria 1 Discussions ongoing
2.. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Western Balkans) 2 Discussions ongoing
3. CPTTP 11 [67] Moved into the second ‘market access’ phase of negotiations UK CPTTP FTA Accession Negotiations started.[68]
4.. European Free Trade Area (part) (Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein) 3 [69] Negotiations concluded and agreed in principle on 4 June 2021 Terms of the EEA EFTA - UK free trade agreement were agreed on 4 June 2021.[69]
5.. GCC 6 [citation needed] Discussions ongoing The first round of negotiations began on the 11 October 2021
6. India

(Enhanced trade agreement)

1 [70] Negotiations ongoing
7. Montenegro (Western Balkans) 1 Discussion ongoing
8. United States of America 1 [71] Negotiations ongoing UK–US FTA Fourth round of negotiations took place in September 2020. Agreement is not expected in 2020.[72]

Agreements at pre-negotiation stage

No Nation (s) Number of nations

represented

Citation Status Comments
1. Bangladesh 1 [73] Pre-negotiations
3. Mercosur 4 [74] Pre-negotiations
4. Taiwan 1 [75] Pre-negotiations

UK top trading partners

Export and import markets for goods in 2020 & 2021, seasonally adjusted
Exports Imports
Rank Trade Partner Million Pounds % of Total Rank Trade Partner Million
Pounds 		% of Total
1. United States[b] 47 098 14.6% 1. China 63 557 13.3%
2. Germany (EU member) 29 595 9.2% 2. Germany (EU member) 53 759 11.2%
3. Netherlands (EU member 27 085 8.4% 3. United States 39 379 8.2%
4. Ireland (EU member 21 834 6.8% 4. Netherlands(EU member) 31 786 6.7%
5. France (EU member) 19 441 6.0% 5. Norway (EFTA) 27 112 5.7%
6. China 18 793 5.8% 6. Belgium (EU member) 23 331 4.9%
7. Belgium (EU member) 14 939 4.6% 7. France (EU member) 23 128 4.8%
8. Switzerland (EFTA) 10 309 3.2% 8. Italy (EU member 17 604 3.7%
9. Italy (EU member) 9 112 2.8% 9. Spain (EU member) 14 472 3.0%
10. Spain (EU member) 7 878 2.4% 10. Ireland (EU member) 13 861 2.9 %
EU 300.3 43.0% EU 372.2 51.4%
Non EU 398.3 57.0% Non EU 352.3 48.6%
World 698.6 100% World 724.5 100%
Historically, WTO imports and exports are based on the rule of origin, while EU imports/exports are based on single market statistics

The figures above are for 2021 & 2022 [76][77]

Neglecting human rights

The UK long maintained the idea of incorporating a values-driven trade policy. In October 2021, the Secretary of State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan also said trade “will not come at the expense of human rights. She had stated that discussions on free trade agreements will bring an opportunity to raise such issues. However, in 2022, a leaked letter to MPs from Trevelyan revealed that the post-Brexit trade deals will not be used to enforce human rights. Trevelyan wrote, “Free trade agreements are not generally the most effective or targeted tool to advance human rights issues.” The change in UK’s policy came as the country was looking to seal a deal with Middle Eastern countries with poor human rights records, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The move was condemned by human rights campaigners, who said, “Gulf dictators will be confidently reassured that when it comes to business with the UK, human rights will be left completely off the table.” Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, Peter Frankental also said that Britain was “sending a terrible message to other countries”.[78]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ These agreements replicate pre-existing agreements with the EU through a process called grandfathering
  2. ^ including Puerto Rico

References

  1. ^ Eiser, David; McEwen, Nicola; Roy, Graeme (7 April 2021). "The Trade Policies of Brexit Britain: the Influence of and Impacts on the Devolved Nations" (PDF). Brill Publishers.
  2. ^ Emmerson, Carl; Johnson, Paul; Mitchell, Ian; Phillips, David (May 2016). "Brexit and the UK's Public Finances" (PDF). Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  3. ^ "Post-Brexit Britain to be 'champions of free trade', Dominic Raab says". ITV News. 7 February 2020.
  4. ^ Fox, Liam (23 January 2019). "Global Britain and the economy". Gov.UK.
  5. ^ Fox, Liam (6 June 2019). "First meeting of government trade advisory group". Gov.UK.
  6. ^ "Election 2019: A short guide to devolution in the UK". BBC News. 13 November 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "UK Treaties". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 December 2020. File:UKOpenGovernmentLicence.svg Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  8. ^ "Regional Agreements Database (United Kingdom". World Trade Organization.
  9. ^ Edgington, Tom (21 October 2021). "Brexit: What trade deals has the UK done so far?". BBC News.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Guidance. Existing UK trade agreements with non-EU countries". UK.
  11. ^ "Australia-UK FTA due to be legislated". www.canberratimes.com.au. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  12. ^ "UK agrees historic trade deal with Australia". Gov.UK. 15 June 2021.
  13. ^ "UK and Australia sign world-class trade deal". Gov.UK. 17 December 2021.
  14. ^ "UK and Albania sign Agreement to deepen economic relationship and political efforts to tackle serious organised crime". UK government. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  15. ^ Hollingbery, George (15 May 2019). "UK signs trade continuity agreement with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru". Gov.UK.UK–Andean FTA
  16. ^ "Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the one part, and the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru, of the other part". FCO, UK. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  17. ^ "United Kingdom and Cameroon secure Economic Partnership Agreement '". Gov.UK. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. ^ "UK secures vital rollover trade deal with Canada and agrees to start negotiating more advanced deal next year '". Uk.Gov. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Agreement on Trade Continuity between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Canada". FCO, UK. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Guidance. Trade with the CARIFORUM States from 1 January 2021". UK Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  21. ^ Hollingbery, George (22 March 2019). "UK signs trade continuity agreement with Caribbean countries". Gov.UK.UK–CARIFORUM FTA
  22. ^ "Suriname signs CARIFORUM-UK EPA". Gov.UK. 5 March 2021.
  23. ^ "UK and Central America sign continuity agreement". Gov.UK. 18 July 2019.UK–Central America FTA
  24. ^ "Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part". FCO, UK. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  25. ^ Fox, Liam (30 January 2019). "UK and Chile sign continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Chile FTA
  26. ^ "Exporting to Cote d'Ivoire from 1 January 2021". GOV.UK.
  27. ^ Including Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe
  28. ^ Hollingbery, George (31 January 2019). "UK signs Eastern and Southern Africa trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–ESA FTA
  29. ^ "UK and Egypt sign Association Agreement'". Voice of America. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  30. ^ "UK and EU agree Brexit trade deal". U.K. Government. 24 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Brexit: Landmark UK-EU trade deal to be signed". BBC. 29 December 2020.
  32. ^ Eustace, George (1 February 2019). "UK and Faroe Islands sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Faroe Islands (Denmark) FTA
  33. ^ Truss, Elizabeth (21 October 2019). "UK and Georgia sign trade continuity and strategic cooperation agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Georgia FTA
  34. ^ "Ghana-UK Joint Statement: Ghana-UK Trade Partnership Agreement". UK Government. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  35. ^ Fox, Liam (18 February 2019). "UK and Israel sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Israel FTA
  36. ^ "UK and Japan sign free trade agreement". GOV.UK.
  37. ^ Chaplin, Chloe (27 January 2020). "Brexit trade deals: the agreements in place already, from Chile to the Faroe Islands". INews.com.UK–Jordan FTA
  38. ^ "UK and Kenya secure a trade agreement". GOV.UK.
  39. ^ "UK–Kosovo FTA" (PDF).
  40. ^ Burns, Conor (19 September 2019). "UK and Lebanon sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Lebanon FTA
  41. ^ "UK and Mexico sign trade deal'". Gov.UK. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  42. ^ Morton, Wendy; Jayawardena, Ranil (24 December 2020). "UK and Moldova sign Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement". Gov.UK.
  43. ^ Burns, Conor (26 October 2019). "UK and Morocco sign continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Morocco FTA
  44. ^ "UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement". Gov.UK. 28 February 2022.
  45. ^ "North Macedonia and UK sign Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement". Gov.UK. 3 December 2020.
  46. ^ "United Kingdom signs free trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein". Gov.UK. 8 July 2021.
  47. ^ "UK and Pacific Islands sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK. 14 March 2019. UK–Pacific States FTA
  48. ^ "Solomon Islands Accession onto the UK-Pacific interim Economic Partnership Agreement". Solomon Island Government. 5 January 2021.
  49. ^ Rheeney, Alexander (11 January 2022). "Samoa signs trade agreement with U.K." Samoa Observer.
  50. ^ "Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Samoa". Gov.UK. 30 December 2020.
  51. ^ "Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Solomon Islands". Gov.UK. 30 December 2020.
  52. ^ "UK and Palestinian Authority sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK. 18 February 2019.UK–Palatine Authority FTA
  53. ^ "Serbia: UK and Serbia sign Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement". Gov.UK. 30 April 2021.
  54. ^ "Singapore, United Kingdom sign free trade agreement". CNA. 10 December 2020.
  55. ^ Truss, Elizabeth (21 August 2019). "UK and Korea to sign trade continuity deal to ensure businesses are ready to trade post-Brexit". Gov.UK.UK–South Korea FTA
  56. ^ Truss, Elizabeth (11 September 2019). "UK agreed trade continuity with 6 African nations". Gov.UK.UK -SACU & Mozambique FTA
  57. ^ Fox, Liam (11 February 2019). "UK and Switzerland sign trade continuity agreement". Gov.UK. UK–Switzerland FTA
  58. ^ Burns, Conor (4 October 2019). "UK and Tunisia sign continuity agreement". Gov.UK.UK–Tunisia FTA
  59. ^ "UK and Turkey to sign free trade deal this week". Financial Times. 27 December 2020.
  60. ^ "Britain, Ukraine Sign 'Strategic Partnership Agreement'". Voice of America. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  61. ^ "UK strikes Singapore and Vietnam trade deals, start of new era of trade with Asia '". Gov.UK. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  62. ^ "Brexit trade deals on the table at UK-Africa summit -". African Business Magazine. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  63. ^ Willems, Michiel (1 March 2021). "New UK-Kenya trade deal to be extended to all of East Africa after threats not to ratify". City A.M.
  64. ^ "UK and Australia agree continuity of Mutual Recognition Agreement". Gov.UK. 18 January 2019. UK–Australia MRA
  65. ^ Fox, Liam (22 January 2019). "UK and New Zealand to continue Mutual Recognition Agreement as PM Jacinda Ardern visits UK". Gov.UK. UK–New Zealand MRA
  66. ^ "UK and USA agree to continue Mutual Recognition Agreement". Gov.UK. 14 February 2019. UK–USA MRA
  67. ^ "UK government formally announces application to join the CPTPP paper". Financial Times. 30 January 2021.
  68. ^ "UK to start negotiations to join Asia-Pacific CPTPP trade treaty | Trade policy". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  69. ^ a b "EEA EFTA States conclude a free trade agreement with the UK | European Free Trade Association". www.efta.int. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  70. ^ "India, UK Agree to Immediate 'Enhanced Trade Partnership'". India Briefing. 9 February 2021.
  71. ^ Truss, Elizabeth (5 May 2020). "UK and US start trade negotiations". Gov.UK.
  72. ^ Fox, Benjamin (24 July 2020). "UK and Norway to open trade pact talks amid warnings of new trade barriers".
  73. ^ "Bangladesh needs free trade agreement with the UK". The Daily Star. Dhaka. 20 August 2020.
  74. ^ Viga Gaier, Rodrigo; Teixeira, Marcelo; Maler, Sandra (31 January 2020). "Brazil to seek a Mercosur-UK trade deal similar of agreement with EU". Reuters.
  75. ^ "Taiwan seeks free trade deal with UK". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  76. ^ "21 UK Trade in goods top 50 export markets and import sources in 2020 and 20211". Gov.UK. 13 June 2022.
  77. ^ "Trade and Investment Core Statistics Book" (PDF). Gov.U.K. 20 June 2022.
  78. ^ "Government scraps plan to enforce human rights with Brexit trade deals, leaked letter reveals". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
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