Free trade agreements of the United Kingdom

UK trade agreements
 United Kingdom
 Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories
 Active agreements
 Renegotiating active agreements
 Agreement in principle
 Negotiations ongoing

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. 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.

These treaties are divided into two types of free trade agreements: continuity agreements and 'new' agreements. Continuity agreements, also named rollover agreements, use of a mutatis mutandis concept in order to quickly replicate the existing EU agreements, only having to call out those minor areas of differentiation. Most continuity treaties were provisionally applied, or through a "bridging mechanism", thus continuity was achieved. Trade agreements negotiated after Brexit are termed 'new', or enhanced agreements, these agreements have been negotiated from scratch or have been renegotiated to enhance the deal since Brexit.

As of May 2023, the United Kingdom has 38 active free trade agreements with nations and trade blocs, covering 99 countries and territories. Five of these are 'new' trade agreements, such as with Australia and New Zealand. The remaining 33 are continuity agreements. The UK has further arrangements covering 17 British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

In addition, the UK has also reached an agreement to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which it signed in July 2023 and is expected to join, after the 11 present members ratify, in 2024.

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

Competence and ratification process

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

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.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office'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 United Nations, allowing their subsequent publication in the United Nations Treaty Series
  • will transfer of the treaties to the National Archives for preservation

Unless expressly authorised to do so by the United Kingdom government, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories do not have the authority to contract treaties in their own right. The UK must extend the territorial scope of its ratification of treaties to include them. This may be done either at the time of ratification, or at some later date.

Active agreements

The following bilateral and plurinational agreements are currently in effect. Signature and entry into force dates are as listed by the World Trade Organization.

Nation(s) No. of
nations
represented
Signed Effective Coverage Treaty Trade value
(2022)
Ref.
Albania 1 5 February 2021 3 May 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £293m
Andean Countries
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
3 15 May 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £5,815m
Australia 1 16 December 2021 31 May 2023 Goods & Services New £17,067m
Cameroon 1 28 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £745m
Canada 1 22 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £26,309m
CARIFORUM
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
14 22 March 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £5,108m
Central America
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
6 18 July 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £2,624m
Chile 1 30 January 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £1,881m
Côte d'Ivoire 1 15 October 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £539m
Eastern and Southern Africa
Mauritius
Seychelles
Zimbabwe
3 31 January 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £1,922m
Egypt 1 5 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £4,896m
European Union 31 30 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services New £772,000m
Faroe Islands 1 31 January 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £1,923m
Georgia 1 21 October 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £457m
Ghana 1 2 March 2021 5 March 2021 Goods Continuity £1,807m
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
3 8 July 2021 1 December 2021 Goods & Services New £56,325m
Israel 1 18 February 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £6,881m
Japan 1 23 October 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services New £27,703m
Jordan 1 5 November 2019 1 May 2021 Goods Continuity £968m
Kenya 1 8 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £1,364m
Kosovo 1 3 December 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £13m
Lebanon 1 19 September 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £771m
Liechtenstein
Switzerland
2 11 February 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £53,551m
Mexico 1 15 December 2020 1 June 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £5,868m
Moldova 1 24 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £1,480m
Morocco 1 26 October 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £3,288m
New Zealand 1 28 February 2022 31 May 2023 Goods & Services New £2,734m
North Macedonia 1 3 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £2,768m
Pacific States
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
4 14 March 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £286m
Palestinian Authority 1 18 February 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £69m
Serbia 1 16 April 2021 20 May 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £904m
Singapore 1 10 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £20,135m
South Korea 1 22 August 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £18,349m
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique
Botswana
Eswatini
Lesotho
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
6 9 October 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £12,539m
Tunisia 1 4 October 2019 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £678m
Turkey 1 29 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity £25,737m
Ukraine 1 8 October 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £1,408m
Vietnam 1 29 December 2020 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity £7,049m

British Territories

The following agreements govern the United Kingdom's free trade with British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Nation(s) No. of nations
represented
Signed Effective Coverage Treaty Comment Ref.
 Akrotiri and Dhekelia 31 30 December 2020 1 May 2021 Goods & Services New Trade with the UK is governed within the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, due to Akrotiri and Dhekelia remaining a part of the European Union customs union.
British Overseas Territories
Anguilla
Ascension Island
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Montserrat
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Tristan da Cunha
Turks and Caicos Islands
14 9 November 2020 1 January 2021 Goods Continuity This arrangement acts as a continuity free trade agreement between 14 Overseas Territories and the UK.
Crown Dependencies Customs Union
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
3 26 November 2018 9 December 2020 Goods & Services New The United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies established a customs union which created a free trade area between the territories, and creates a common external tariff with other countries.
Gibraltar 1 24 October 2019 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Continuity Trade with Gibraltar is governed under the 'Financial Services and Markets Act 2000', Gibraltar and the UK amended this act in order to continue the agreement they had in the European Economic Area.

Negotiations

The United Kingdom is currently negotiating free trade agreements with the following countries and trade blocs:

Nation (s) No of nations
represented
Coverage Treaty Trade value (2022) Status Progress Ref.
Algeria 1 Goods Continuity £2,346m Negotiations stagnated A continuity FTA has been offered to Algeria; neither party has signed the agreement.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Goods & Services Continuity £218m Negotiations stagnated A continuity FTA has been offered to Bosnia and Herzegovina; neither party has signed the agreement.
Canada 1 Goods & Services New £26,309m Negotiations ongoing Fifth round of negotiations took place in March 2023.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
Australia
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Peru
Singapore
Vietnam
11 Goods & Services New £113,000m Agreement signed on 16 July 2023 Awaiting ratification of the UK's accession from member states.
Greenland 1 Goods New £4m Negotiations stagnated Negotiations opened in January 2022.
Gulf Cooperation Council
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
6 Goods & Services New £61,300m Negotiations ongoing Fifth round of negotiations concluded on 16 November 2023.
India 1 Goods & Services New £35,940m Negotiations ongoing Thirteenth round of negotiations concluded on 18 December 2023.
Israel 1 Goods & Services New £6,881m Negotiations ongoing Second round of negotiations took place in May 2023.
Maldives 1 Goods New £432m Discussions ongoing Trade consultation closed on 2 August 2023.
Mexico 1 Goods & Services New £5,868m Negotiations ongoing Negotiations opened on 20 May 2022.
Montenegro 1 Goods & Services Continuity £69m Negotiations stagnated A continuity FTA has been offered to Montenegro; neither party has signed the agreement.
South Korea 1 Goods & Services New £18,349m Negotiations ongoing Negotiations opened on 22 November 2023.
Switzerland 1 Goods & Services New £53,551m Negotiations ongoing Third round of negotiations concluded on 14 December 2023.
Turkey 1 Goods & Services New £25,737m Discussions ongoing Trade consultation opened on 2 November 2023.
Ukraine 1 Goods & Services New £1,408m Agreement signed on 20 March 2023. This Digital Trade Agreement will expand upon the Ukraine-UK FTA when it is entered into force.
United States 1 Goods & Services New £279,150m Negotiations stagnated Fifth round of negotiations took place in October 2020.

Potential enlargement

The following countries can accede to an existing plurilateral trade agreement with the United Kingdom.

Nation (s) Trade agreement being joined Status Ref.
Haiti CARIFORUM Haiti will be covered by the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement if they sign it and bring it into effect.
Comoros
Madagascar
Zambia
Eastern and Southern Africa Out of the remaining COMESA members, Comoros, Madagascar, and Zambia have agreements in place allowing them to join the ESA-UK Economic Partnership Agreement:
  • Comoros signed the agreement on 12 April 2022 and will be covered by the EPA when they bring it into effect.
  • Madagascar signed the agreement on 4 November 2021 and will be covered by the EPA when they bring it into effect.
  • Zambia will be covered by the EPA if they sign it and bring it into effect.
East African Community
Burundi
DR Congo
Rwanda
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Kenya Article 143 of the UK-Kenya Partnership Agreement enables any other EAC member to make an accession request to the UK-Kenya EPA Council.
Cook Islands
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
Niue
Palau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Pacific States The Pacific States-UK Economic Partnership Agreement states that 10 other Pacific nations are currently eligible to apply for accession.
  • Tonga has shown interest in acceding to the EPA.

Obsolete agreements

The following free trade agreements were previously active, however they have since been superseded or terminated.

Nation (s) No of nations represented Signed Effective Obsolete Coverage Note Superseded by Ref.
France 1 23 January 1860 23 January 1860 1 January 1892 Goods Became obsolete after the introduction of the Méline tariff by the French Government.
 Belgium
1 23 July 1862 23 July 1862 1 August 1897 Goods Prime Minister Salisbury decided to withdraw from the treaty, because of a clause that was contrary to the policy of Imperial Preference.
 Ireland 1 19 December 1965 1 July 1966 1 January 1973 Goods After both nations' bids to join the EEC were rejected, Ireland and the UK agreed to the Ireland-UK Free Trade Area. This was superseded upon both parties' accession to the EEC. European Economic Community
 Colombia 1 18 October 2019 1 January 2021 28 June 2021 Goods & Services Colombia-UK Continuity FTA was provisionally applied until Colombia could ratify the Andean-UK Continuity FTA, which superseded this agreement. Andean Countries
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
 Iceland
 Norway
2 8 December 2020 1 January 2021 8 July 2021 Goods Iceland-Norway Continuity FTA was superseded by the updated FTA with Liechtenstein, which expanded the coverage to include services.  Iceland
 Liechtenstein
 Norway

Former trade bloc memberships

The United Kingdom was previously a member of the following trade blocs, which include multilateral free trade with fellow members.

Nation (s) No of nations represented Signed Effective Obsolete Coverage Note Superseded by Ref.
European Free Trade Association
 Austria
 Denmark
 Iceland
 Norway
 Portugal
 Sweden
  Switzerland
7 4 January 1960 3 May 1960 31 December 1972 Goods & Services The UK was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association, however left the organisation in order to join the European Economic Community, along with Denmark. European Economic Community
European Economic Community
 Belgium
 Denmark
 France
 Greece
 Ireland
 Italy
 Luxembourg
 Netherlands
 Portugal
 Spain
West Germany/Germany
11 22 January 1972 1 January 1973 1 November 1993 Goods & Services The UK joined the European Economic Community, along with Denmark and Ireland. The EEC was incorporated into the European Union. European Union
European Union 27 7 February 1992 1 November 1993 1 January 2021 Goods & Services Following the result of the Brexit referendum, the UK invoked Article 50 in March 2017. The UK officially withdrew from the EU on the 1 January 2021. EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Obsolete EU agreements

The following agreements are European Union free trade agreements which the United Kingdom was a party of until Brexit, however continuity agreements were not reached to replace them.

Nation (s) No of nations represented Signed Effective Obsolete Coverage Note Ref.
 Algeria 1 22 April 2002 1 September 2005 1 January 2021 Goods The UK has no free trade agreement with Algeria.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 16 June 2008 1 June 2015 1 January 2021 Goods & Services The UK has no free trade agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EU Overseas Countries and Territories
Aruba
Bonaire
Curaçao
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Greenland
New Caledonia
Saba
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
Wallis and Futuna
13 27 November 2001 2 December 2001 1 January 2021 Goods The UK has no free trade agreement with any of the EU Overseas Countries and Territories. Greenland and the UK have opened negotiations for a free trade agreement.
 Montenegro 1 15 October 2007 1 May 2010 1 January 2021 Goods & Services The UK has no free trade agreement with Montenegro.

UK top trading partners

Export and import markets for goods in 2020 & 2021, seasonally adjusted
Figures in £millions sterling
Exports Imports
Rank Trade Partner £millions % of Total Rank Trade Partner £millions % of Total
European Union 153 951 47.8% European Union 223 393 46.8%
1. United States 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 2020 & 2021

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-11 18:20 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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