The British High Commission in the Maldives announces that the United Kingdom UK has launched the process to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Maldives.
The UK government said today that it has launched an eight-week call for input in preparation to negotiate a goods-only Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Maldives, inviting businesses, organizations, and individuals to help shape the UK’s negotiating aims.
It further said that the Maldives is one of the few countries in the Commonwealth with which the UK is not pursuing an FTA or does not already have preferential access to the UK market. It stated that this marks a significant step in the growing relationship between the two countries since the establishment of a resident mission in 2019
It also said that the public consultation will also help to identify trade barriers that pose an obstacle to UK businesses attempting to export their goods to Maldives.
The UK government said that the call for input will run from 00:15 on 8 June 2023 to 23:45 on 2 August 2023.
