Tag: Business and Trade Department

The press release issued by the Department of Business and Trade on 16 June 2023.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises Honours awarded to thirty-six businesses leaders, exporters and innovators.

British business leaders, exporters and Department for Business and Trade staff are among the names being awarded for their exceptional service to business, trade, investment, and exports.

Those honoured have proudly flown the British flag and represent a diverse range of businesses and business leaders who have championed a range of our world-leading sectors.

Business leaders and volunteers recognised in the 2023 Birthday Honours list include:

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• Ann Bentley, Global Board Member, Rider Levett Bucknall. For services to Construction.
• Michael Cherry, Lately Chair, Federation of Small Businesses. For services to Business and to International Trade.
• Damian Hopkins, Founder, The Radius Group. For services to the Retail Industry.
• Phillip O’Dell, Lately Director of Flight Operations and Chief Test Pilot, Rolls-Royce. For services to UK aviation.
• Gary Shaughnessy, Chair, Z Zurich Foundation and Parkinson’s UK. For services to Business and to Charity.
• Stephen Welton, Founder and Chair, BGF. For services to Small Businesses and to Entrepreneurship.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• Nicholas Baveystock DL, Director General and Secretary, Institution of Civil Engineers. For services to Engineering.
• Kevin Byrne, Founder, Checkatrade.com. For services to industry and Consumer Protection.
• Anuj Chande, Partner, Grant Thornton. For services to International Trade and Investment.
• Andrew Churchill FREng, Executive Chairman, JJ Churchill Ltd. For services to Engineering.
• Frances Dickens, Founder and Chair, Astus Group. For services to Media Trading.
• Elizabeth Noël Harwerth, Chair UK Export Finance. For services to International Trade.
• Amar Latif, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Traveleyes. For services to the Visually Impaired and to Entrepreneurship.
• Richard Paxman, Chief Executive Officer, Paxman Coolers Limited. For services to International Trade.
• Kevin Taylor, Chair, Industrial Development Advisory Board. For services to Business and to the Economy.

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

• Professor David Cooper. For services to Lift and Escalator Engineering.
• Professor Philip Dickens, Founder, Added Scientific. For services to the Additive Manufacturing Sector.
• Caroline Hamilton, Chief Executive, Safety Assessment Federation. For services to Business and to Engineering.
• Dennis Mardon, Chair, Citizens Advice Exeter, for services to Vulnerable People in Exeter, Devon.
• Christine Payne, Lately General Secretary, Equity. For services to the Trade Union Movement.
• Hina Solanki, Founder, Sol Cosmedics. For services to Business and to Charity.
• Sandra Strong, Chair, Customs and Export Licensing Committee, British Exporters Association. For services to British Exporters.
• Penelope Taylor, Head, Newark College and Air and Space Institue. For services to Skills and Employment in Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire.
• David Williams DL, Vice Chair, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and Chairman, Geldards LLP. For services to Business and to the Economy in Derbyshire Nottinghamshire.

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

• Elizabeth Baitson, Founder, High Net Connect. For services to Business and to Entrepreneurs.
• Balbir Kaur Dhillon, Postmaster. For services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.
• Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, Postmaster. For services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.
• Jennifer Didcote, Postmaster. For services to the community in Bishop’s Cleeve, Gloucestershire.
• Dorothy Kay, Volunteer, Citizens Advice, Elmbridge West. For services to Employment Advice.
• Virendra Patel, Technical Support Partner, John Lewis and Partners. For services to the community in Hampshire.

Staff from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) recognised in the 2023 Birthday Honours List include:

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• Gordon Welsh, Lately Head of Business Group, UK Export Finance.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• Charlotte Heyes, Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director, Trade Negotiations Group.
• Ryan Sinclair, Assistant Head.

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

• Jacqueline Griffiths, Senior Policy Advisor.
• Sandra Stephenson, Head of Personnel Security.
• Robin Sykes, Lately Head of Import Controls.

Some of the recognised recipients include:

1. Michael Cherry – awarded a CBE for services to for services to business and to international trade.

For over 20 years Michael has been a passionate advocate for international trade and the benefits it can bring to the economy. Serving 2 full terms (6 years) as Federation of Small Businesses National Chair, the first Chair to do this, Michael has also worked hard to ensure that the voice of smaller firms is heard in the national conversation on small business. Michael has also worked to promote the advantages of international trade to UK small firms in support of the Global Britain agenda. This has included speaking at the UK-Japan Free Trade Summit on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and at the Australian High Commission in support of negotiations for a UK-Australia FTA. Furthermore, Mike has been a committed advocate for UK trade policy in the national and international media, highlighting the massive interest amongst the UK’s over 500,000 small exporters in concluding FTAs with Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and others.

Michael Cherry CBE, Lately Chair, Federation of Small Businesses said:

I am hugely honoured and obviously delighted to have been put forward for this award, and my thanks to everyone who gave me their support in what we did for businesses and international trade during the time I was privileged to be National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as my congratulations to everyone else recognised in this year’s Birthday Honours.

Small businesses make up the vast majority of the businesses across all parts of the UK and deserve more of our support, especially after the difficulties of the last few years, in looking at the opportunities overseas markets present for them to grow and develop their businesses.

2. Elizabeth Noël Harweth awarded an OBE for services to international trade.

In her role as chair of UKEF, Noël has helped build UKEF from a transactional agency focused on serving few exporters into one of the leading export finance groups in the world while managing risk to a significantly low level. She has built the organization into one of the leading export finance groups in the world, serving hundreds of businesses and projects. Furthermore, Noël’s leadership of the Board at UKEF has contributed to record amounts of support for UK exporters. Noël is the first female Chair of UK Export Finance, and she has consistently championed diversity and inclusion. Noël is deeply committed to public service and to strengthening civil society and she has been very committed to promoting women’s leadership and equality. Noël founded the Women’s Corporate Directors chapter in the UK and continues to chair that group. Plus, having joined the International Women’s Forum approximately 20 years ago, she remains an active member.

Elizabeth Noël Harweth OBE, Chair of UK Export Finance said:

To be awarded an OBE for services to international trade is a great privilege. UK Export Finance has become one of the world’s leading Export Credit Agencies due to the vision and hard work of our dedicated public servants. We are proud to support Great Britain’s exporters, whose goods and services improve the lives of millions around the world.

3. Amar Latif awarded an OBE for services to the visually impaired and entrepreneurship.

Having lost his sight in his teens, Amar has set the bar extremely high to prove to himself, and to encourage many others around the world, that blindness is no impediment to achieving what you desire. He has done this in entrepreneurship, motivational speaking and appearances in a range of TV programmes. Having held the post of Finance Director in the Leeds office of BT, he created Traveleyes in 2004, a company specialising in bespoke holidays around the world for the visually impaired. Traveleyes was voted Best Assisted/Accessible Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards in 2019 and 2020. Named by The Chamber of Commerce International as The Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World, he received the first-ever Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou of EasyJet, run by the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability. He was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Strathclyde.

Amar Latif OBE, Founder and CEO of Traveleyes said:

I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that my achievements would be recognised and acknowledged in this fabulous way, and I am so so humbled!

I’m incredibly grateful to all that have joined me on the journey to get here. I have worked very hard to overcome barriers and preconceptions that people have had of me as a blind person, and I set up Traveleyes, the world’s first commercial tour operator, to provide independent group travel for people who are blind, vision impaired and fully sighted because tour operators didn’t cater for people like me.

4. Sandra Strong awarded an MBE for services to exports.

With 35 years of experience in international trade, Sandra’s input, dedication, and commitment to the British Exporters Association, its members and the wider UK exporting community continues to be invaluable. One example is when it was suggested that the British Exporters Association add to their set of free guides, by publishing one on trade compliance, Sandra was the key ‘go to person’ because of her wide knowledge of the practicalities of customs, VAT, duty, hazardous goods, export controls and certification for packaging. Sandra was instrumental in introducing a free helpline for British Exporters Association members, which has proven to be an invaluable resource for UK exporters to assist with all export and international trade related matters, particularly with the challenges surrounding Brexit. Plus, Sandra willingly shares her knowledge and expertise to help educate and develop others in international trade matters.

Sandra Strong MBE, Chair of the British Exporters Association said:

I am delighted and honoured to receive this award in recognition of my services to British exporters. I would like to acknowledge the exceptional teams I have been privileged to work alongside, notably the British Exporters Association (BExA), whose unwavering commitment to advocating for the needs of British companies in the global marketplace is truly commendable.

I am also grateful for the steadfast support provided by Strong & Herd LLP, whose expertise in customs and international trade regulations has been invaluable in assisting UK businesses for nearly 30 years. This award is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary efforts, goodwill and ongoing contributions of these teams, partners and collaborators, and it has been my pleasure to work with them during my career.

5. Dennis Mardon awarded an MBE for services to vulnerable people in Exeter, Devon.

In 2004, Exeter Citizen’s Advice was facing closure but is now a financially healthy, respected, effective and dynamic organisation. This is due to Dennis’ unstinting commitment, leadership, energy and dedication. His senior management background and awareness of the importance of good governance has enabled him to develop a Board of 14 Trustees, who increasingly reflect the profile of the community, ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills to support and develop the service. He is highly respected by staff and in 2019 was chosen as Volunteer of the Year by the 80+ volunteers in the Bureau. Under his leadership the Bureau was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2016 and the Exeter Living Charity of the Year Award in 2017. The success of Dennis’ leadership over 18 years is reflected in the organisation’s 2020/21 Impact Statement which showed a 92.3% satisfaction rate with the 29,658 issues dealt with by the service.

Dennis Mardon MBE, Chair of Exeter Citizens Advice said:

I am extremely pleased and honoured to be awarded an MBE. This honour is as much about Citizens Advice Exeter as it is about me. I am so proud of everyone involved with our charity – all the volunteers, staff and trustees – for the amazing work they do every day. I always think of them as a family, and without their support and dedication I certainly wouldn’t be receiving this award.

6. Balbir Kaur Dhillon and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon both awarded a BEM for services to the community

Balbir Kaur Dhillon and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon are both widely recognised as pillars of the community, not simply because they are extremely dedicated and long serving postmasters. They are also active members of their local community, bringing a lasting and positive impact across schools, hospitals, foodbanks and local sports teams in the area. During the first lockdown, Balbir and Kuldeep worked with others at their Temple to fundraise for, prepare, and distribute some 35,000 meals for frontline NHS staff at both Warrington and Halton hospitals. Working weekends on site, they kept doctors and nurses fed and watered as they worked to save lives. Observing and understanding the increasing levels of hardship being experienced by those at the less advantaged end of the spectrum, they both regularly top up supplies at the local foodbank from their own retail stock. It is hard to overstate Balbir and Kuldeep’s commitment to, and love for, their local community.

Balbir Kaur Dhillon BEM and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon BEM, Postmasters said:

We are both incredibly honoured and grateful to receive this award. We hope to continue serving the Birchwood community, as it brings us so much pleasure to help the people around us that we class as family.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 16 June 2023.

First South Carolina Working Group meeting under the UK – South Carolina trade MoU takes place in Columbia, SC.

On Friday 16th June 2023, the UK and the State of South Carolina held the inaugural government to government working group under the auspices of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation and trade relations between the US state of South Carolina and the United Kingdom in Columbia, SC.

Consul General for the United Kingdom in Atlanta, Rachel Galloway, and Deputy Secretary of Commerce for the State of South Carolina, Ashely Teasdel, led the working group attended by officials from the respective governments. The discussion focused on improving cooperation and sharing best practice. This is in addition to exploring opportunities for increasing bilateral trade in the automotive, advanced manufacturing, life sciences sectors, and state procurement.

The UK and South Carolina have a strong trading relationship, with the state exporting £1.2 billion worth of goods to the UK and importing £1.3 billion worth of UK goods in 2022. Several UK companies have subsidiaries based in South Carolina including, Doncasters Trucast Inc, GKN Aerospace, and Sigmatex. UK companies employ over 12,000 South Carolinians in the state and almost 5000 jobs in the Palmetto state are supported by exports to the UK.

South Carolina and the UK agreed to facilitate further bilateral policy and research and development exchange ahead of a future session to be held in late 2023, which will involve representatives from industry as part of continued work to deliver for businesses in the UK and South Carolina.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 14 June 2023.

A new agreement recognising UK professional qualifications in Switzerland is being signed today.

A new agreement recognising UK professional qualifications in Switzerland will be signed by Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin today [14 June], boosting trade between the two countries.

Proving you have the right qualifications is key to winning contracts in regulated sectors such as law, architecture and audit. Under the agreement, UK-qualified professionals in regulated sectors who wish to have their qualifications recognised in Switzerland will have a certain and transparent system to do so; and vice versa.

This could allow British companies to compete for more contracts in Switzerland in the long run, boosting UK services exports, growing the UK economy and encouraging Swiss investment into the UK.

The agreement has been welcomed by industry bodies and stakeholders. It will enter into force at the start of 2025 and replace interim arrangements on RPQ with Switzerland, agreed ahead of the UK’s EU Exit.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

Supporting our flourishing services sector to sell its world-class expertise abroad is key to helping grow exports and grow the economy.

Following the start of free trade deal talks last month, this agreement will hopefully ensure UK companies compete for more contracts in Switzerland in the future, boosting UK services exports, and encouraging new Swiss investment into the UK.

The UK and Switzerland are among the world’s leading service economies, with their services sectors each representing over 70% of GDP for both economies. We traded £24 billion of services between us in 2022, making Switzerland the UK’s 7th largest partner for services trade.

President of the Law Society of England and Wales Lubna Shuja said:

Switzerland is the third largest UK legal services export market in Europe, so this deal will benefit not only our members but also the wider economy.

Legal services facilitate all international business transactions and provide crucial support to UK and multinational firms wanting to export. The sector consistently generates a trade surplus with net exports of UK legal services standing at £5.4bn in 2021.

Founder and Principal of Studio Seilern Architects Christina Seilern said:

My upbringing in the Swiss Alps has been instrumental to my career as an architect, which has been rooted in London for nearly two decades and encompasses important public projects and civic interventions in both countries, including recently the major Andermatt Concert Hall at the historical centre of Switzerland.

As architects, our thinking and our industry are global. This agreement lowers the barriers for us to do our work, and ensures that we can continue to make meaningful contributions to our cities, economies, and communities in Switzerland and the UK.

This agreement follows the launch of negotiations last month in Bern on a new UK-Switzerland free trade agreement to boost trade between the two services superpowers.

A new, modernised free trade agreement with Switzerland will add to the UK’s growing armoury of powerful service-focused deals by removing market access barriers, improving regulatory cooperation and enabling UK firms to compete on an equal footing in Switzerland.

The RPQ agreement also sets out a bespoke route to recognition for certain legal professionals, allowing lawyers to qualify in the other country after registration and a 3-year practise period, subject to conditions set out in the agreement.

It also safeguards the autonomy of UK regulators to independently set and maintain standards and decide who is fit to practise the profession.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 12 June 2023.

Largest ever delegation of Asia Pacific (APAC) investors travel to the UK for the start of London Tech Week.

• Just weeks after the UK concludes negotiations with CPTPP, £100bn investment funds from APAC flock to London for tech and investment bonanza.
• Multi-million-pound deals on the cards at London Eye pitching event on first day of London Tech Week.
• UK proving itself to be a tech superpower and the best place in the world to invest.

Cutting edge British tech firms are set to pitch for multi-million-pound deals with Asia Pacific (APAC) investors today just weeks after the UK concluded negotiations with the CPTPP – a £9 trillion combined GDP trade bloc in the Indo-Pacific.

As part of the biggest APAC delegation to ever visit London Tech Week, investors representing funds of over £100bn will meet with UK tech companies as they seek cash injections into innovative new projects, ranging from fintech and clean tech to life sciences and Artificial Intelligence.

As day one (Monday 12 June) of the UK’s largest technology event gets underway, business deals have already been secured with APAC investors and tech firms, with the Minister for Investment, Lord Johnson, kicking off further investment talks later today at the London Eye.

This includes a strategic partnership between Malaysian company Sunway Group – one of Southeast Asia’s leading conglomerates – and Cambridge-based venture capitalist firm Deeptech Labs, enabling them to accelerate the growth of net zero technologies and open new avenues for UK startups in the APAC region.

The signing of the new partnership will take place on the banks of the River Thames before more lucrative deals are struck on the London Eye, as 25 tech firms have 30 minutes to pitch their latest innovations to investors before their pods circle back to the ground.

Minister for Investment Lord Johnson said:

London Tech Week is a huge opportunity to show that we are a science and technology superpower, and that the UK is the number one place to invest.

Just weeks after successfully negotiating our biggest post-Brexit trade deal with the CPTPP, we are seeing huge interest from investors in the region, with millions of pounds being invested into world-leading British tech.

Creating closer ties with our friends in the Asia Pacific region is creating enormous opportunities for inward investment, as the UK sits at the cutting edge of innovation in science and technology.

Various APAC tech firms are also announcing they will move their HQs to the UK in a further vote of confidence that we have the best credentials as a place to do business. This includes Japanese startups Datagusto and Qufooit, as well as booking platform Enrolmy in New Zealand, with further potential announcements through the week.

Extra support is also being announced by the Government to grow tech exports to Asia Pacific and facilitate more investment.

A new contract has been awarded to Oxfordshire-based Intralink to run the new UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme as part of the UK’s Digital Trade Network (DTN), which will help UK tech companies and entrepreneurs to trade in the APAC region. The DTN itself will also expand to Taiwan and Vietnam to ensure UK exporters can access digital tech expertise and help with market access and digital trading systems.

Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy Paul Scully MP said:

Seamless collaboration with our global counterparts is the key that will unlock the potential of our leading start-up community, and in turn the UK’s future as a science and technology superpower. This is why Intralink’s work with the Digital Trade Network to bring together the UK and Asian tech communities is fundamental to our shared success.

Natalie Black, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, said:

This record-breaking delegation from Asia Pacific demonstrates our deepening relationship with nations across the CPTPP.

At this year’s London Tech Week, we are seeing delegations of startups brought over by the Japanese government and our first ever delegation from Vietnam, demonstrating how the UK is the tech powerhouse of the CPTPP.

I look forward to seeing the UK’s trillion-dollar tech sector thrive in the region through our expanded Digital Trade Network.

The new UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme will increase UK digital tech exports to APAC markets by increasing private sector investment in UK tech companies and strengthening trading relationships between the UK and APAC countries.

An Australian tech mission is also included in the 600-strong APAC delegation, looking to maximise benefits of the UK-Australia free trade agreement that came into force last month.

Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director of Grow London, London & Partners said:

The relationship between UK tech companies and APAC investors is crucial for unlocking growth opportunities and helping businesses expand into new markets across both regions. I am looking forward to introducing some of our best tech talent to investors from the Asia-Pacific region during London Tech Week. The interest we’ve seen from international companies and investors in this year’s London Tech Week demonstrates the global appeal of the UK’s tech sector.

Notes to editors

• 600 delegates will make up the APAC delegation, with a further delegation of 50 from Mexico – another CPTPP member. Investors in the APAC delegation are representing investment funds managing over £100bn of assets.
• Both the Minister for Investment, Lord Johnson, and APAC HMTC Natalie Black will be attending the Sunway Group – Cambridge Deep Tech Labs signing event this afternoon alongside senior representatives from MyDIGITAL Corporation and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, where they will meet with investors and tech firms. Lord Johnson will also deliver a speech.
• The ‘Elevator Pitch’ event at the London Eye will follow on shortly afterwards, with HMTC Natalie Black in attendance.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 8 June 2023.

Statement agreed by Trade Ministers of the Commonwealth, who met on 5-6 June 2023 at Marlborough House for the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting.

DELIVERING A COMMON FUTURE: CO-OPERATION FOR RESILIENT, INCLUSIVE, GREEN AND DIGITAL ECONOMIES

1 – The Trade Ministers of the Commonwealth met on 5-6 June 2023 at Marlborough House in London to build upon the initiatives agreed by our Heads of Government in Kigali, Rwanda, in June 2022.

2 – We exchanged views on current issues and challenges facing the global economy, marked by multiple and interconnected crises, and emphasised the importance of building inclusive, sustainable and resilient economies for post-COVID recovery. As we approach the mid-point of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, we recognise the need for enhanced collaboration and strengthened partnerships to ensure that trade and investment contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in developing, least developed countries and small and vulnerable economies.

Supporting the Multilateral Trading System

3 – We reaffirmed our strong commitment to a transparent, inclusive, nondiscriminatory, fair and open rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, and reiterated concerns about the risk of WTO-inconsistent protectionist measures and unfair trading practices that threaten the rules-based trading system. The multilateral trading system has a key role to play in addressing global challenges including supporting the post-COVID global economic recovery and achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

4 – We discussed the outcomes from the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022 and reaffirmed the importance we attach to achieving fair and balanced outcomes at the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024.

5 – We urged Members to conclude negotiations on outstanding issues from Ministerial decisions. In particular, in relation to the desire to ratify and implement the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, including with the support of the Fisheries Funding Mechanism. We encourage Members to conclude negotiations with respect to the Agreement, with due regard to the principle of special and differential treatment.

6 – We call for continued reform of the multilateral trading rules for agriculture and the smooth functioning of supply chains, with a view towards achieving reductions in trade distorting support and protection, to enhance food security, especially for net food importing developing countries.

7 – We recognise that member countries have differing views and official positions on various issues on the WTO agenda, such as public stockholding for food security purposes. We underscored the importance of continuing discussions on these issues.

8 – We underline the importance and urgency of restoring a fully and wellfunctioning dispute settlement system that is accessible to all Members by 2024.

9 – We urge members to decide on an extension of the TRIPS waiver to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

10 – We also encourage members to actively engage in the e-commerce work programme, in particular the development dimension, including on the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.

11 – We recognise the ongoing discussions on policy coherence between trade and investment with industrial policy and note the role that regional economic integration can play in strengthening the participation of member countries in the multilateral trading system.

12 – We recognise the importance of the global agricultural and food systems, underpinned by WTO rules, bringing food, fibre, and other critical products to people all over the world. Despite its importance for ensuring global food security and sustainable economic development, agriculture remains one of the most protected sectors in global trade. We recognise the need for a meaningful outcome on agriculture at the WTO, reflecting our collective interests and sensitivities, with a view towards achieving substantial progressive reductions in trade-distorting support and protection to enhance food security, as envisaged in the continuation of the agricultural reform process provided in Article 20 of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and existing mandates.

13 – We reflected on the role the Commonwealth can play to support and strengthen the multilateral trading system. We endorsed the proposal for the Government of Rwanda as the Chair-in-Office to deliver an agreed joint statement to MC13. Furthermore, we welcome initiatives by the Secretariat to support members with their preparations for MC13 and to assess the outcomes of the Ministerial Conference.

14 – We encourage Commonwealth members of the WTO to work across regional blocks to address the sensitivities of member countries and to accelerate convergence, where possible.

15 – We noted the discussions of the Commonwealth Caucus group in Geneva, convened by New Zealand, and encouraged the group to continue this informal exchange of views in the lead-up to MC13, while respecting the different views of member countries.

16 – We noted the report on ‘Trade, Climate Change and Natural Disasters’, as mandated by Trade Ministers, and mandated that it be further discussed at the next Caucus Meeting in Geneva.

17 – We expressed our shared commitment to deepen collaboration to support all members, especially developing countries, including least developed countries, small states and small island developing states, to participate effectively and on an equal footing in the multilateral trading system and reap the gains from international trade. We noted the crucial support provided to Commonwealth small states through the Commonwealth Small States Office (CSSO) in Geneva and reiterated the importance of maintaining this support.

18 – We further agreed to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, including to improve the capacity of Commonwealth members to engage in policy formulation on issues within the multilateral trading system and to appropriately assess the impact of different trade and trade-related environmental policy options on developmental outcomes to better align the policies formulated in the multilateral trading system with the targets in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Deepening Commonwealth Trade and Investment

19 – We noted the progress in intra-Commonwealth trade and investment and recognise the need for more ambitious action to grow intra-Commonwealth trade to US$2 trillion by 2030. We noted the ongoing support provided by the Secretariat to improve trade competitiveness in member countries and discussed practical ways to increase this support, especially to build members’ capacity to grow and diversify exports, enhance trade and investment facilitation, and integrate effectively into the global trading system.

20 – We welcomed the recognition of the crucial role of investment in transforming economies by Commonwealth Leaders at CHOGM 2022. We agreed that strengthening intra-Commonwealth trade and investment should be a priority for the Commonwealth. We committed to working together to explore mutually beneficial investment initiatives and partnerships across the Commonwealth, particularly those which support high quality investment in infrastructure, including clean, green infrastructure, as cornerstones of sustainable economic growth as well as in productive capacity.

21 – We support the reconvening of the Working Group on Trade and Investment (either physically or virtually) to discuss ways of deepening intra-Commonwealth trade and investment.

22 – We mandate an initial focus of a sub-action group of the Working Group on Trade and Investment to generate an investment plan of action. The Group will update members at regular intervals, with tangible proposals to increase investment flows, to be agreed by Heads of Government at CHOGM.

23 – We noted the update on the work of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda and the operationalisation of the Commonwealth Connectivity Action Plan; and commended the respective cluster leads for shaping the direction and focus of the five connectivity clusters in partnership with the cluster members. We further recognised the need for the mobilisation of additional resources to upscale the work of the clusters.

24 – We welcomed the Secretariat’s work on international trade policy, particularly the research, policy and capacity building support to member countries to develop and implement their trade policies, including through strengthened partnerships with UNCTAD, the WTO and the ITC.

25 – We encourage the Secretariat to deepen trade policy support and capacity building and call on members who may be in a position to do so to provide technology transfer and financial support for developing countries, least developed countries and small and vulnerable economies, including small island developing states and landlocked developing countries, given their unique national circumstances and respective capabilities. In particular, we request the Secretariat to work with least developed countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implement and monitor the Doha Programme of Action for the decade 2022-2031, and to support member countries with the ratification and implementation of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement.

26 – We noted progress on the biennial Commonwealth Trade Review, which will be presented at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2024.

Inclusive and Sustainable Trade

27 – We note that trade and investment can play a role in addressing global challenges, including enabling food security, bridging the global digital divide, empowering women, youth and other vulnerable groups in trade, collaborating and supporting the sustainable energy transition, halting and reversing biodiversity loss in the ocean and on land, co-operating for managing the risks and challenges arising from climate change, and promoting sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions, in a manner consistent with the respective needs and concerns of members at different levels of economic development.

28 – The Commonwealth provides a valuable platform to exchange knowledge and experiences about the role of trade and investment in inclusive and sustainable development and we call for greater collaboration in this regard. We underline that trade-related measures taken to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or disguised restrictions on international trade. We urge our trade partners to give full consideration to the impact of the implementation of such measures, especially on members of the Commonwealth, and to provide the requisite assistance.

29 – We further acknowledge that this kind of partnership can help to facilitate continued growth in both intra-Commonwealth and international trade across all levels of development while assisting developing member countries with achieving compliance, over time, with trade standards in a way that drives sustainability in climate change mitigation and other areas, including through technical assistance and capacity building, technology transfer and financial support. In this regard, we encourage the Secretariat to facilitate collaboration amongst the member countries.

30 – We recognise that women continue to face barriers to full and equal participation in the economy and international trade. We are committed to promoting women’s economic empowerment and increasing opportunities for womenowned businesses to trade, including by facilitating capacity building programmes providing targeted support for businesses and fostering an enabling business environment. We expressed our deep appreciation for the ongoing work on gender and youth mainstreaming undertaken by the Secretariat and encouraged such efforts to continue, working in partnership, where feasible, with other Commonwealth accredited organisations.

31 – We reflected on the Bridgetown Initiative and noted its potential benefits in addressing the financing challenges of climate vulnerable countries and the longterm financing needs of the Sustainable Development Goals.

32 – We reflected on how the Commonwealth can promote trade and trade policy as solutions for addressing the climate crisis, including through promoting sustainable production, trade and supply chains, and encouraging access to affordable technologies and enhanced access to climate finance; and note efforts to address environmentally harmful subsidies and contribute to the development of blue and green economies in a manner consistent with the respective needs and concerns of Members at different levels of economic development, in the light of different country circumstances and respective capabilities. We noted the WTO fora available for co-operation and information sharing in support of these objectives, particularly the potential of the Committee on Trade and Environment to progress these deliberations.

33 – We emphasised the importance of exchanging knowledge on good practices and local solutions to help mitigate and adapt to climate change and engage in green economy and trade as part of a just transition to a lower-carbon future. We acknowledge that an appropriately designed industrial strategy can support this transition and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

Fostering Digital Transition

34 – We reflected on how the Commonwealth, both collectively and as individual member countries, can support an inclusive digital transformation for all and facilitate digital trade for growth and development, with a particular focus on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises. We emphasised the importance of enabling everyone, everywhere to access the benefits of technological change and innovation. To this end, we stressed the need to address the digital divide and digital skills gaps, with particular attention to supporting marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups to access digital skills.

35 – We emphasised the need to develop digital public infrastructure and connectivity and ensure digital technologies are accessible and affordable for all. We underscored the importance of enabling access to digital financial services as part of an inclusive digital ecosystem and the need to develop efficient crossborder digital payment systems to support digital trade.

36 – We exchanged views on the merits of designing robust, supportive and effective regulatory frameworks to govern and facilitate digital trade and the broader operation of the digital economy. We noted the opportunities for Commonwealth members on co-operation in promoting coherence in regulatory and policy frameworks governing digital trade and the digital economy.

37 – We agreed to establish a Legal Reform and Digitalisation Working Group under the Connectivity Agenda’s Business-to-Business Cluster, with the support of other clusters within the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, to assist Commonwealth members in moving towards paperless trade.

38 – We discussed the need to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to engage in digital trade and to build human capacity in all our member countries to empower individuals – particularly women and youth – and businesses to harness the potential of the digital economy and digital trade.

39 – We expressed our shared commitment to deepen pan-Commonwealth cooperation in the digital economy and digital trade particularly moving towards increasing digitisation of trade and paperless trade, and noted the continued role of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda in supporting collaboration, sharing of best practice and experience, and providing support to member countries in the promotion of intra-Commonwealth trade.

Towards CHOGM 2024 and Beyond

40 – With a view to deepening Commonwealth co-operation in the areas highlighted above, we recommended that our Heads of Government reflect on these issues when they meet in Apia, Samoa, for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 8 June 2023.

Update on the first round of negotiations for an enhanced UK-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 8 June 2023.

The UK has today launched an eight-week call for input in preparation to negotiate a goods-only Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Maldives, inviting business, organisations and individuals to help shape the UK’s negotiating aims.

Maldives is one of the few countries in the Commonwealth which the UK is not already pursuing an FTA with or does not already have preferential access to the UK market.

The public consultation will also help to identify trade barriers which pose an obstacle to UK businesses attempting to export their goods to Maldives.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 7 June 2023.

The Government has published the third annual Investing in Women Code report.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 31 May 2023.

Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston and Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis today announced their intent to pursue a Memorandum of Understanding.

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 31 May 2023.

The UK’s trade deals with Australia and New Zealand come into effect today.

• Australia and New Zealand trade deals to enter into force at midnight on Wednesday
• Special shipments of handpicked UK goods including signed Beano comics, personalised Cambridge Satchels, Brighton Gin and Burleigh pottery among very first to be sent under the new arrangements
• Deals remove tariffs on all UK goods exports Down Under and could mean lower prices for UK consumers

From today [31 May], UK businesses will be able to sell to Australia and New Zealand more easily as the UK’s trade deals with the countries, the first negotiated from scratch since we left the EU, come into force.

Under the deals’ beneficial terms tariffs on all UK goods exports to Australia and New Zealand will be removed, unprecedented access to these markets for services unlocked, and red tape slashed for digital trade and work visas.

Each region and nation of the UK is expected to benefit. Tailored to the UK’s strengths, the deals are set to deliver an economic boost by driving bilateral trade up by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand.

The agreements could also mean reduced prices for UK consumers on favourites such as wine, Tim Tams and kiwi fruit and lowered costs on machinery parts for UK manufacturers.

The announcement comes after the UK, Australia and New Zealand completed their domestic ratification processes, allowing the deals to enter into force. In the UK this required primary legislation in the form of the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

Today is a historic moment as our first trade deals to be negotiated post-Brexit come into effect.

Businesses up and down the country will now be able to reap the rewards of our status as an independent trading nation and seize new opportunities, driving economic growth, innovation and higher wages.

International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston will tour DHL’s Southern Distribution Centre near Heathrow to see off two handpicked consignments of UK goods, some of the first to be sent to Australia and New Zealand under the new deals.

Iconic British goods from across the country including signed Beano comics, Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky, Brighton Gin, The Cambridge Satchel Co. bags and Fever-Tree mixers are all among the items which will be sent from the UK government to the Australian and New Zealand trade ministers. Many of the items included will benefit from the removal of tariffs under the deals.

The parcels will also include an England cricket top signed by James Anderson and Emma Lamb, a Wales rugby shirt signed by the men’s team and a real tennis racket from Gray’s of Cambridge.

Minister for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston, said:

It is incredibly exciting to be visiting DHL to see some of the first shipments leave the UK, knowing that when they arrive Down Under they will benefit from our brand new deals.

Australia and New Zealand are two of our closest friends and likeminded partners and our trade deals secure favourable terms for British exporters, removing tariffs on all UK goods and slashing red tape.

Alongside the new trade agreement with Australia, more young Brits will benefit from life-changing opportunities Down Under thanks to the expansion of our shared Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Maker visa schemes. On 1 July 2023 the age limit for UK applicants going to Australia will go from 30 to 35 years old, and from 1 July 2024 Brits will be able to stay in Australia for up to three years without having to meet specified work requirements.

The consignments will be sent via express air freight with DHL, which is accelerating to low carbon operations with a commitment to reach zero emissions logistics by 2050 globally. Moving more than 100,000 shipments per day for UK businesses, Australia, New Zealand and other CPTPP countries are popular markets, with expectations for continued growth.

CEO of DHL Express UK Ian Wilson said:

The new free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand provide businesses with a great opportunity to capitalise on the demand in these markets for British goods. We are delighted to have marked the commencement of these deals with a visit from the International Trade Minister to our site today, in which he had the chance to meet businesses and see the important role our colleagues play in the global economy.

Through our recent collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade, we have been able to explain the new deals through webinars and simplified guides which we hope will help our customers achieve even greater international growth.

Both free trade agreements are also part of the UK’s strategic tilt to the Indo-Pacific region and complement our accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – a huge trade bloc which will have a total GDP of £12 trillion once we join.

The deals include robust protections for British farmers, including staging tariff liberalisation for sensitive goods over time.

Other key benefits of the deals include:

• Access to Australian work visas for UK service suppliers without being subject to its changing skilled occupation list and enabling Brits to work in New Zealand more freely
• Flexible rules of origin and removal of tariffs on all UK exports to both markets
• Advanced rules on digital trade which cut red tape, unlock the free flow of data and give businesses confidence their valuable intellectual property will be protected
• Access to government contracts and investment opportunities, including equal footing to compete for an additional £10 billion of Australian public sector contracts per year and high investment screening thresholds for New Zealand
• Progressive opportunities to grow our low-carbon economy through liberalised tariffs on environmental goods and encouraging investment in low-carbon technology
• Environment chapters reaffirming our commitments to the Paris Agreement and recognising our right to regulate to meet Net Zero

Founder and Managing Director of Brighton Gin Kathy Caton said:

In an increasingly competitive and global market removing trade barriers is exactly the support that the British gin industry needs. With a Brighton in every state in Australia, one of our goals is to see Brighton Gin being served in every one! Hopefully the free trade agreement gets us one step closer to that.

CEO of Frugalpac Malcolm Waugh said:

Frugalpac produces the world’s first paper bottle for wines and spirits and the machines that make them. Our Frugal Bottles, which are made from 94% recycled paperboard and have a carbon footprint six times lower than a glass bottle, are now sold in 22 countries including Australia and New Zealand.

The Department for Business and Trade has been hugely supportive of Frugalpac and these free trade agreements will boost our plans to export machines to help the Australian and New Zealand drinks industry to further decarbonise.

The Department for Business and Trade is working with firms of all sizes from across the country to explain how they can harness these trade agreements to grow their business. Dedicated resources are available to help businesses every step of the way as they seize these new opportunities.