On 6 May 2025, the United Kingdom (UK) and Indian Governments agreed a new ‘landmark’ free trade agreement (“FTA”) to increase long-term bilateral trade by £25.5 billion each year and drive economic growth in both countries. The UK Government believes the FTA will result in a £4.8 billion increase in UK GDP and a £2.2 billion increase in UK long-term year-on-year wages. The legal text of the agreement and regulatory details must first be finalised,…
The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have concluded a trade deal covering a range of products and promoting market access for goods. In response to the recent additional tariffs adopted by the US administration, both countries agreed to the following: Additionally, the UK-US trade deal includes: The US administration has also announced that this trade deal includes streamlined customs procedures for US exports, the creation of a secure supply chain for pharmaceutical…
On 3 April 2025, the UK Government published a consultation on the impact of any future tariffs on UK imports from the US. The consultation followed an announcement by the UK Trade Secretary in Parliament that the UK Government is considering “every option” in response to US President Trump’s imposition of “Liberation Day” import tariffs on the UK of 10%. For further details regarding the announcement of these tariffs and the global impact, please see our blog…
As reported in our earlier blog here, on Monday 10 February 2025, President Trump announced that 25% tariffs will be imposed on all steel and aluminum products imported into the United States (“US”), including from the EU and the UK which were previously subject to exclusions. These tariffs are due to come into effect on 12 March 2025. The key question now is how other jurisdictions such as the EU and the UK will retaliate. …
On 15 December 2024, the United Kingdom (UK) joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The UK has joined the 11 existing members of the CPTPP – Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Brunei, Chile, and Peru – becoming the first non-founding member of the CPTPP and also the first European country to join the bloc. The CPTPP is a trade agreement, spanning five continents and covering almost 600 million…
On 30 October 2024, as part of the Autumn Budget, the Government provided an update on its plans for the introduction of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). In doing so the Government confirmed that the UK CBAM will apply from 1 January 2027 and that the primary legislation required to give effect to the UK CBAM will be included in the Finance Bill 2024-25. At the same time, the Government also published its…
Following the UK’s exit from the EU (“Brexit”), the UK and EU developed the Northern Ireland Protocol (“NI Protocol”) and, subsequently, the Windsor Framework (designed to facilitate smooth trade between Great Britain, i.e. England, Wales and Scotland, and Northern Ireland following Brexit by streamlining the number of checks placed on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, primarily through the introduction of two “lanes” of travel depending on the final destination of the goods…
On 28 August 2024, UK and German leaders Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to work on an ambitious treaty covering issues from defence to trade, which would be part of a fresh start for the UK’s relations with the European Union (EU). As part of the same drive to improve relations with the EU, Starmer also met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris on 29 August. After UK Prime Minister,…
The UK government published an evaluation report for the six pilot initiatives on an ‘Ecosystem of Trust’ (“EoT”) on 29 August 2023, which was first set out in the government’s 2025 UK Border strategy. Aimed at using technology to create the so called EoT around the border, the UK proposed an automated assurance and reliability model that could allow a simplification of the current customs and border processes. Such an ecosystem would be built on…
On June 19, the UK’s new DCTS entered into force, replacing its previous Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) regime. Under the WTO Agreements, developed countries can grant non-reciprocal preferential treatment to products originating in developing and least developed countries, referred to as “special and differential treatment” (S&D) provisions, normally referred to as a GSP. Countries that grant preferential treatment through a GSP determine eligible countries and S&D provisions unilaterally. Along with a rebrand, the DCTS simplifies…