Welcome to this week’s update on the fast-moving world of global trade, digital policy, and transatlantic relations. Here’s what’s shaping the global agenda right now.
The Public Forum focused on services trade, and World Trade and Tech Day meanwhile was focused on AI in trade. It’s no surprise that techUK’s views were therefore in high demand. Sabina Ciofu spoke on panels including a panel on the Electronic Commerce Agreement, organised by the UK Mission; a panel on the future of digital services trade organised by the European Services Forum; and a panel on the Role of Services in Supply Chain Security which has been turned into an episode of the Borderlex podcast Trade Bites. techUK also met with Ambassadors from the UK, Australia, EU, Singapore and Japan, as well as a representative from the USTR.
The mood in Geneva was that the WTO is not dead, but needs to reform to survive. Part of that means, as the 2026 World Trade Report outlined, making the WTO fit for the digital services economy it has helped to create, while also preserving those bits of the WTO that still work. This involves both working to reinstate the multilateral moratorium on e-commerce and supporting the plurilateral Agreement on E-Commerce.
A full summary of techUK’s presence in Geneva including the mood of the Forum, what’s next and how you can get involved, can be found on our website.
Burnham sits down with Trump
The Prime Minister became the latest Englishman in New York when he spoke at the UN General Assembly and met with US President Donald Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Burnham’s General Assembly speech included a pitch for the UK to be centre of a global AI assurance ecosystem, and suggested global rules on AI would be a priority for the UK’s G20 Presidency next year.
On the fringes of the UN, Burnham met with Trump to discuss topics including trade. The meeting saw the US President declare Burnham a man with which he could do business while criticising the (now under review) Chagos Deal. The Tech Prosperity Deal was also confirmed to be still alive.
Burnham’s meeting with von der Leyen seemed to go less well, with no firm date for the UK-EU Reset Summit set (more on that below).
We’ll be keeping an eye on Burnham’s speech to Labour Party Conference next week to see if he expands on his vision for trade.
Canada offered Associate Membership of the EU
In a surprising announcement, Ursula von der Leyen announced in her state of the Union speech that the EU would offer Canada ‘Associate Membership’ of the bloc.
Mark Carney commented that such an offer represented a willingness for like-minded middle powers to work together and to produce deals that benefit everybody. However, as the BBC reports, there is no clear idea what Associate Membership would look like for Canada or whether the whole EU would accept this.
What is for certain is it shows Canada and the EU are looking to expand their partnerships beyond the United States, and will be looking to work together more closely in future.
US China Summit in Washington
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping is in Washington this week for discussions on trade with the US President.
It is predicted the Summit will focus on maintaining the fragile truce between the two countries, rather than with reducing tariff or regulatory barriers to trade. AI, though, is high on the agenda, with US tech CEOs attending a state dinner with both leaders during the visit.
We’ll be following what happens in case there are any surprise announcements.
CPTPP accession talks and the UK in Asia
During the summer, talks opened with the UAE, Philippines and Indonesia for accession to the CPTPP, joining existing accession talks for Uruguay and Costa Rica.
The UAE, the Philippines and Indonesia amount to over 400 million customers, a significant potential expansion to the bloc. The UK already has an FTA with the UAE via the GCC which is currently being ratified, while there is no current agreement with the Philippines and Indonesia. techUK responded to a recent government consultation on deepening trade with the UAE, Uruguay, the Philippines and Indonesia. Get in touch if you want to know more.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Anas Sarwar has been in Manila talking to ASEAN economic ministers as part of the ASEAN-UK Partnership Dialogue. A full readout of this can be found on the gov.uk website
New UK trade statistics
BIST has released the latest set of UK Trade and Investment Factsheets, providing statistical overviews of the UK’s international trade relationships.
G20 Trade Ministerial in Wisconsin
The G20 is continuing to ramp up with a meeting of Trade Ministers in Wisconsin, hosted by United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is one of numerous ministerial meetings before the leaders meeting in Miami in December.
Archie Breare
Policy Manager - Trade, techUK
Archie Breare
Policy Manager - Trade, techUK
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
techUK International Policy and Trade Programme activities
techUK supports members with their international trade plans and aspirations. We help members to understand market opportunities, tackle market access barriers, and build partnerships in their target market. Visit the programme page here.
techUK Cyber Resilience Delegation to Brussels 2026
Join us from 8 – 9 September in Brussels to deepen your understanding of the EU cyber policy landscape, connect with key European decision-makers, and shape your organisation's strategy for engaging with EU institutions on cyber resilience.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
Sabina Ciofu is International Policy and Strategy Lead at techUK, where she heads the International Policy and Trade Programme. Based in Brussels, she shapes global tech policy, digital trade, and regulatory cooperation across the EU, US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and the Gulf region. She drives strategy, advocacy, and market opportunities for UK tech companies worldwide, ensuring their voice is heard in international policy debates.
With nearly a decade of previous experience as a Policy Advisor in the European Parliament, Sabina brings deep expertise in tech regulation, trade policy, and EU–US relations. Her work focuses on navigating and influencing the global digital economy to deliver real impact for members.
A passionate community-builder, Sabina co-founded Young Professionals in Digital Policy (800+ members) and now runs Old Professionals in Digital Policy (more experience, better wine, earlier nights). She is also the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, a network of 500+ women supporting each other with kindness.
She holds advisory roles with the UCL European Institute, Café Transatlantique (a network of women in transatlantic tech policy), and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club for women.
Recognised by ComputerWeekly as one of the most influential women in UK tech, Sabina is also a sought-after public speaker on tech, trade and diversity.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
Theo joined techUK in 2024 as EU Policy Manager. Based in Brussels, he works on our EU policy and engagement.
Theo is an experienced policy adviser who has helped connect EU and non-EU decision makers.
Prior to techUK, Theo worked at the EU delegation to Australia, the Israeli trade mission to the EU, and the City of London Corporation’s Brussels office. In his role, Theo ensures that techUK members are well-informed about EU policy, its origins, and its implications, while also facilitating valuable input to Brussels-based decision-makers.
Theo holds and LLM in International and European law, and an MA in European Studies, both from the University of Amsterdam.
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
