Trade Agreements Update

The DIT maintains up-to-date list at GOV.UK. It gives details of trade agreements that have been signed and those which are still outstanding.

Trade agreements that have been signed

Agreements with the following countries and trading blocs will take effect when the UK leaves the EU:

• Andean countries
• CARIFORUM trade bloc
• Central America
• Chile
• Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc
• Faroe Islands
• Iceland and Norway
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Liechtenstein
• Pacific states
• Palestinian Authority
• South Korea
• Switzerland

A trade agreement with the Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACU+M) trade bloc has been agreed in principle. We expect to sign the agreement with SACU+M shortly.

Trade agreements that are still under negotiation

Countries where the UK will have to trade under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules in a no-deal Brexit scenario until trade agreements are reached are:

• Albania (Western Balkans)
• Algeria
• Andorra
• San Marino
• Bosnia & Herzegovina (Western Balkans)
• Cameroon (Central Africa)
• Canada
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Egypt
• Georgia
• Ghana (Western Africa)
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kenya (EAC)
• Kosovo
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Montenegro (Western Balkans)
• Morocco
• North Macedonia (Western Balkans)
• Serbia (Western Balkans)
• Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa)
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Ukraine

Mutual Recognition Agreements

Australia, New Zealand and United States have signed mutual recognition agreements.

Discussions for a UK-Japan MRA continue. The UK and Japan have signed an exchange of letters designed to ensure the continuity of existing arrangements as a temporary measure.

A mutual recognition agreement is one in which countries recognise one another’s conformity assessments. When conformity assessments are applied to products, they are tested to an established performance standard. Inspections, quality management, surveillance, accreditation and declarations of conformit