Canada and Mexico
The UK is to begin negotiations for upgraded trade deals with Canada and Mexico this year focused on creating greater opportunities for UK businesses in industries such as digital, data and services.
A call for input is asking for views from the public, businesses and other stakeholders on what the UK’s ambitions should be for these free trade agreements.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “Now we have left the EU we are free to sign the next generation of British-shaped trade deals with free-trading nations, securing our economic ties with economies of the future.
“This next generation of deals will be trail-blazing, securing more access for British goods and services, which will support jobs and prosperity across the UK in industries that will shape the future of the global economy. They will also serve as a key building block to CPTPP, as the UK pivots towards the Asia-Pacific.”
Lord Karan Bilimoria, CBI President, said: “As the UK seeks to strengthen its trade and investment links with Mexico and Canada, input from business will be crucial to ensure these deals serve as a vehicle for economic growth. Creating high-value jobs in key growth industries from fintech to e-commerce will help all our countries build forward.”
India
The UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed a ‘2030 Roadmap’ to provide a framework for UK-India relations across health, climate, trade, education, science and technology and defence. This Roadmap confirms the UK’s intent to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with a view to doubling UK-India trade over the next decade.
A 14-week public consultation, running until the end of August, has been launched by the Department for International Trade. This public consultation provides stakeholders with the opportunity to express their views about a UK-India free trade agreement, to help shape Government policy positions and ensure a future trade deal benefits citizens and business in every region of the UK.
The UK-India online questionnaire is now live on Gov.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with-india-call-for-input
The UK-Canada-Mexico call for input runs between 18 May and 12 July and is available on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with-canada-and-mexico-call-for-input