Britain looks to Gulf countries for new trade deal

UK Foreign Secretary for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan speaks during the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester, UK, October 3, 2021. REUTERS / Phil Noble / File Photo

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – The UK will take its first step towards trade negotiations with the Six Country Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Friday, asking UK companies what they want to cover in an agreement.

Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan is seeking an agreement with the GCC – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain – in order to establish new connections worldwide after the UK leaves the European Union.

On Friday, Trevelyan will launch a 14-week consultation calling on the public and businesses to share their views on what an agreement should look like. She will also meet representatives from the GCC in London.

“We want a modern, comprehensive deal that removes barriers to trade in a huge food and beverage market and in areas such as digital commerce and renewable energy, and creates well-paying jobs across the UK,” she said in a statement.

An agreement would be a step forward on UK relations as a member of the EU: the EU meets annually with the GCC to build economic cooperation and develop closer trade and investment ties, but the 18-year trade deal negotiations stalled in 2008 .

The GCC has not implemented a free trade agreement since 2015 and the UK has not set a timetable for negotiations.

The UK already has strong strategic and military ties with the Gulf States, and trade with the region exceeded £ 30 billion in 2020.

However, pursuing a formal trade deal could raise political concerns about who the UK might want to do more business with after Brexit. Continue reading

The government has long been criticized by opposition lawmakers and activists who say billions in arms exports to Saudi Arabia are being used to violate human rights laws in Yemen.

The government said in 2020 there was no clear risk that they could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Reporting from William James; Adaptation by Steve Orlofsky

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