11 Jul 2025
by David Johnstone

Navigating Global Trade

The international trade landscape has fundamentally changed. That’s why only a couple of weeks ago, the Department for Business and Trade published its Trade Strategy; the government’s response to these challenges to deliver economic growth.

The UK’s approach to trade is rooted in resilience, innovation, and growth, and our trade deals play a part in this mission. They are not merely pieces of paper; they are strategic levers that underpin our ambition to lead in a world where trade is increasingly digital, services-led, and contested.

For all businesses, including those operating in the tech sector, they provide legal certainty, digital frameworks, and market access that UK businesses need to thrive in a competitive global economy.

For example, in May, the UK agreed a landmark FTA with India, predicted to increase bilaterial trade by £25.5 billion and UK GDP by £4.8 billion, each year in the long run. The Agreement includes locked in services commitments, unprecedented access to India’s procurement market, and improvements to the trading environment in areas like IP, digital trade, and customs.

The UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is also a defining moment for the UK’s trading relationships. It connects the UK to a dynamic bloc of 11 economies, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Chile. CPTPP simplifies services trade through provisions that make it easier to move data between countries, provide services in-person or remotely, and it promotes digital trade between members. Crucially, CPTPP is also a dynamic agreement - continually being reviewed and upgraded to ensure the provisions keep up to date with the commercial frameworks needed for fast-moving sectors like tech.

Similarly, the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) is setting a global benchmark. It ensures the free flow of data, prohibits unjustified data localisation, and supports digital identities and e-contracting. This is not just about tech firms, it is about enabling every UK business, from SMEs to multinationals, to operate confidently in the digital economy.

And it is in this digital-first world that the Trade Strategy operates. FTAs are one part of the story, delivering a broader range of economic partnerships, including sector-specific agreements, mutual recognition arrangements (MRPQs), digital trade agreements, and regulatory cooperation, is another. This ambition is supported by the new Ricardo Fund, which will unlock £5 billion worth of opportunities for UK exporters by tackling complex regulatory issues, shape global standards, and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad.

As the global trade landscape continues to evolve, the UK will use all the tools at our disposal – FTAs, MRPQs, digital agreements, and resolving market access barriers to name just a few - to help UK businesses strengthen resilience, explore opportunities, and drive economic growth.

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Meet the team 

Sabina Ciofu

Sabina Ciofu

Associate Director – International, techUK

Daniel Clarke

Daniel Clarke

Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK

Theophile Maiziere

Theophile Maiziere

Policy Manager - EU, techUK

Lewis Walmesley-Browne

Lewis Walmesley-Browne

Head of Market Access and Consumer Tech, techUK

Tess Newton

Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK

 

Authors

David Johnstone

David Johnstone

Head of FTA Utilisation, Department for Business and Trade