Original document : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-trade-agreements-with-non-eu-countries

Change description : 2021-12-09 14:28:00: Updated link for Norway to go to UK-Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein free trade agreement collection page. [Brexit]

Showing diff : 2021-11-24 08:39:42.730514947 +00:00..2021-12-10 08:37:16.834192248 +00:00

Guidance

UK trade agreements with non-EU countries

Find out about the trade agreements the UK has concluded that are in effect and the progress of our discussions with other countries.

As of 1 January 2021, EU trade agreements no longer apply to the UK.

The UK has sought to reproduce the effects of trading agreements that previously applied to it to ensure continuity for UK business.

Trade agreements in effect

Agreements with the following countries and trading blocs took effect from 1 January 2021. Where the agreement has not yet been ratified, provisional application or bridging mechanisms have been put in place to ensure continuity of trade.

Agreement Country Entry into effect mechanism (1) Total UK trade with countries, 2020 (£ million) (2)
Albania Albania Full ratification 80
Andean countries Colombia Bridging mechanism 2,043 (total for Andean countries)
Andean countries Ecuador Full ratification 2,043 (total for Andean countries)
Andean countries Peru Full ratification 2,043 (total for Andean countries)
Canada Canada Full ratification 19,061
Cameroon Cameroon Full ratification 169
CARIFORUM trade bloc Antigua and Barbuda Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Bahamas Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Barbados Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Belize Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Dominica Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Dominican Republic Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Grenada Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Guyana Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Jamaica Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc St. Kitts and Nevis Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Saint Lucia Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc St. Vincent and the Grenadines Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Suriname Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
CARIFORUM trade bloc Trinidad and Tobago Provisional application 2,713 (total for CARIFORUM trade bloc)
Central America Costa Rica Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Central America El Salvador Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Central America Guatemala Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Central America Honduras Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Central America Nicaragua Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Central America Panama Full ratification 1,276 (total for Central America)
Chile Chile Full ratification 1,391
Côte d’Ivoire Côte d’Ivoire Full ratification 511
Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc Mauritius Full ratification 1,534 (total for Eastern and Southern Africa trade bloc)
Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc Seychelles Full ratification 1,534 (total for Eastern and Southern Africa trade bloc)
Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc Zimbabwe Full ratification 1,534 (total for Eastern and Southern Africa trade bloc)
Egypt Egypt Full ratification 2,739
Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Full ratification 358
Georgia Georgia Full ratification 163
Ghana Ghana Provisional application 905
Iceland and Norway Iceland Provisional application 21,214 (total for Iceland and Norway)
Iceland and Norway Norway Provisional application 21,214 (total for Iceland and Norway)
Israel Israel Full ratification 4,815
Japan Japan Full ratification 24,230
Jordan Jordan Full ratification 607
Kenya (3) Kenya Bridging mechanism 1,095
Kosovo Kosovo Full ratification 14
Lebanon Lebanon Full ratification 602
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Full ratification 178
Mexico Mexico Full ratification 3,750
Moldova Moldova Provisional application 831
Morocco Morocco Provisional application 1,513
North Macedonia North Macedonia Provisional application 1,488
Pacific states Fiji Provisional application 255 (total for Pacific States)
Pacific states Papua New Guinea Provisional application 255 (total for Pacific States)
Pacific states Samoa (4) Bridging mechanism 255 (total for Pacific States)
Pacific states Solomon Islands (4) Bridging mechanism 255 (total for Pacific States)
Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority Full ratification 19
Serbia Serbia Provisional application 615
Singapore Singapore Full ratification 15,756
South Korea South Korea Full ratification 12,468
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc Botswana Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc Eswatini Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc Lesotho Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc Mozambique Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc Namibia Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) trade bloc South Africa Full ratification 9,088 (total for SACUM trade bloc)
Switzerland Switzerland Full ratification 33,873
Tunisia Tunisia Full ratification 430
Turkey Turkey Provisional application 15,014
Ukraine Ukraine Full ratification 1,3096
Vietnam Vietnam Provisional application 4,840

Notes

1) Provisional application is a method well established in international treaty practice to bring agreements into effect ahead of entry into force. Bridging mechanisms are an alternative means to ensure continuity of trade, where the UK or treaty partners are unable to fully ratify or provisionally apply an agreement. These non-binding mechanisms include Memoranda of Understanding or Exchange of Diplomatic Notes and ensure continuity of trade.

2) Source of trade statistics: ONS UK total trade: all countries, non-seasonally adjusted April to June 2021.

3) This agreement is open to accession by other members of East African Community.

4) Samoa and the Solomon Islands have not yet acceded to the Pacific States-UK Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (pending a decision on their accession), however preferences under the agreement took effect on 1 January 2021 through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Trade agreements still in discussion

The following agreements are still under discussion with countries where trading agreements were in place before 1 January 2021.

For these countries:

Country or bloc Status of discussions
Algeria (1) Engagement ongoing, agreement is not yet in place. Trade takes place under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences for imports. UK exports will be subject to partner country national legislation.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1) Engagement ongoing, agreement is not yet in place. Trade takes place under WTO terms for imports. UK exports will be subject to partner country national legislation.
Montenegro Engagement ongoing, agreement is not yet in place. Trade takes place under WTO terms.

Note

(1) Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina are not members of the World Trade Organization.

Trading with countries in Customs Unions with the EU

Andorra and San Marino are part of customs unions with the EU. The UK has agreed with the EU that all products originating in San Marino and all non-agricultural products (chapters 25-97) originating in Andorra are to be treated as originating in the EU under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement as long as Andorra and San Marino apply to UK products the same preferences that the EU applies to them. These products benefit from zero tariffs, where they meet the relevant rules of origin. Trade with Andorra of agricultural products (chapters 01-24) is not in scope of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and takes place under WTO terms.

Mutual recognition agreements

A mutual recognition agreement (MRA) is one in which countries recognise the results of one another’s conformity assessments.

A conformity assessment is a set of processes that confirm whether a product meets the specified legal requirements. This can include testing, inspection, and certification.

The UK has signed MRAs with:

MRA coverage in trade agreements

The UK’s trade agreement with Switzerland incorporates elements of the EU-Switzerland MRA.

The UK’s trade agreement with Israel covers conformity assessment of industrial products. This means that existing arrangements with Israel remain in place.

The UK-Japan CEPA replicates the effects of the existing EU-Japan MRA.

More information

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Find out:

Published 29 January 2020
Last updated 239 NovemberDecember 2021 + show all updates
  1. Updated link for Norway to go to UK-Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein free trade agreement collection page.

  2. Total trade value for each country or trading bloc updated to 2020 statistics.

  3. Cameroon changed to full ratification.

  4. Mexico moved into 'Trade agreements in effect' section following full ratification of agreement.

  5. Changed status of Albania, Canada and Jordan to full ratification and moved to 'Trade agreements in effect' section. Serbia added as provisional application agreement. Trade statistics for all countries updated.

  6. Removed the agreement in principle for Cameroon because the agreement is now signed.

  7. Updated to reflect the signing of the Ghana-UK EPA.

  8. Update to reflect the full ratification of the UK-Egypt and UK-Singapore agreements.

  9. Trade agreements that took effect from 1 January 2021’ table updated with the most recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics.

  10. Updated to reflect the full ratification of the UK-Andean agreement with Peru.

  11. Updated to add links to the agreement documents for Mexico, Moldova, Vietnam and Turkey. Added a link to the summary of the Cameroon trade agreement.

  12. Updated to reflect the agreement in principle of the UK-Cameroon Agreement.

  13. Updated the table for Signed trade agreements, expected to be in effect from 1 January 2021 to include Turkey, Vietnam, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Republic of Guyana.

  14. Updated to make it clear how agreements will come into force on 1 January 2021.

  15. Updated to reflect the signing of the UK-Mexico Agreement.

  16. Amended the progress on the agreement with Montenegro.

  17. Added links to the Canada and North Macedonia trade agreement documents.

  18. Updated to reflect the signing of the UK-Egypt Association Agreement.

  19. Updated to reflect the signing of the UK-North Macedonia agreement.

  20. Updated to reflect the agreement in principle of the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement.

  21. Added links to the agreement documents for Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine.

  22. Updated to reflect the signing of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

  23. Updated to reflect ongoing trade discussions with Turkey and Vietnam

Update history

2022-08-05 09:59
Entry into force mechanism for Kenya changed to full ratification from bridging mechanism.

2022-07-11 13:31
Colombia entry into effect mechanism changed to reflect the full ratification of the UK-Andean agreement.

2022-05-05 11:37
Total trade values for all countries updated with latest statistics.

2022-03-31 00:15
Samoa and Solomon Islands: ‘entry into effect mechanism’ changed to ‘Provisional application’ following accession to UK-Pacific economic partnership agreement (EPA).

2022-02-18 15:34
Update of total UK trade with statistics.

2022-02-07 16:49
Added Greenland to trade agreements still in discussion table.

2021-12-09 14:28
Updated link for Norway to go to UK-Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein free trade agreement collection page.

2021-11-23 09:42
Total trade value for each country or trading bloc updated to 2020 statistics.

2021-06-01 19:00
Mexico moved into 'Trade agreements in effect' section following full ratification of agreement.

2021-03-09 17:30
Removed the agreement in principle for Cameroon because the agreement is now signed.

2021-03-05 13:59
Updated to reflect the entry into effect of the Ghana-UK EPA.

2021-03-02 16:38
Updated to reflect the signing of the Ghana-UK EPA.

2021-02-12 12:32
Update to reflect the full ratification of the UK-Egypt and UK-Singapore agreements.

2021-02-08 16:32
Trade agreements that took effect from 1 January 2021' table updated with the most recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics.

2021-02-05 17:14
Moved Albania from 'under discussion' to 'signed but not in effect' table. Also updated the St. Kitts and Nevis entry as they have now ratified the CARIFORUM agreement.

2020-10-08 13:45
Updated to reflect the signing of the UK-Ukraine agreement.

2020-08-06 16:10
'Trade agreements that have been signed' table updated with the most recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics

2020-06-29 10:59
Updated to reflect ongoing trade discussions with Turkey and Vietnam

2020-05-15 14:44
Updated the total UK trade statistics to correct an error.

2020-05-04 12:11
Updated 'Trade agreements that have been signed' table after publication of the Office for National Statistics' UK trade statistics.

2020-02-04 13:26
Updated as the EU has notified those countries with which it has trade agreements that EU trade agreements can continue to apply to the UK during the transition period.

2020-01-29 11:08
First published.