Canada and the United Kingdom begin first round of FTA negotiations

Canada and the United Kingdom began the first round of negotiations toward a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on March 28, 2022.

During public consultations in the spring of 2021, Canadians expressed strong support for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom was Canada’s third-largest individual country trading partner in 2021 for both goods and services, which were valued together at $42.2 billion.

Canada exported $24.1 billion in goods and services to and imported $18.1 billion in goods and services from United Kingdom in 2021.

Both the bilateral negotiations and the United Kingdom’s possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are seen by the Canadian Government as opportunities for Canada to further enhance its relationship with the United Kingdom.