Skip to main content

Transcript for Episode 27- Research free trade agreements

If you’re looking to export a product or service, you’ll need to know the terms and conditions for doing so.

A trade agreement is a legal document that sets out any rules that cover trade between 2 or more countries.

A free trade agreement, or FTA, allows trading to be less restricted. It can make markets more accessible, help to cut costs and make exporting more profitable.

But it doesn’t mean the end of border checks.

Different countries will still have different rules and standards for imports.

But if the general conditions for trading with a country look right, an FTA could make a market an even stronger contender for your business.

Different agreements are in place for different products and services. So it’s important to look at terms specifically affecting your sector.

See which could benefit your business, or how you could adapt your business strategy to make the most of FTAs.

When choosing a market to export to, it’s worth including FTAs among the factors you’ll look at. Such as ease of doing business, freight costs, and customer demand.

A starting point for research is checking which markets have signed trade deals with the UK or are in consultation to do so.

You can find these details on GOV.UK

Also, speak with your local international trade adviser.

Or seek advice from the DIT officials in embassies, consulates and high commissions.

And finally, you can get advice from a lawyer tailored to your business needs.

Accelerate your learning

Sign up to Great.gov.uk and you'll be able to:

  • track your learning progress and read case studies
  • join live events from the UK Export Academy
  • compare markets using live export data
Sign up to get started

Already signed up? Sign in

Thank you for submitting your rating

Thank you for helping us to improve this service


To help us improve our service, we'd like to know more about your booking experience today. It will only take a minute to complete.

Overall, how would you rate your experience with the Learn to export service today?

Did you experience any of the following issues?

Select all that apply.

Error: Select issues you experienced, or select ‘I did not experience any issues’

Or

How likely are you to use this service again?

Error: Select how likely you are to use this service again

Don't include any personal information, like your name or email address.

Your feedback must be 1200 characters or less

You can enter up to 1200 characters