GCC-UK trade reaches $70bn as concluded FTA targets 99% tariff removal

Bilateral trade between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Kingdom reached approximately $70bn in 2025, as negotiators concluded a free trade agreement targeting the removal of tariffs on more than 99 percent of GCC exports to the UK. The conclusion of negotiations marks the completion of talks between the six-member Gulf bloc and Britain on market access terms.

Trade agreement targets near-total tariff elimination#

The concluded GCC-UK trade agreement targets the elimination of tariffs on over 99 percent of Gulf exports entering the United Kingdom. The tariff removal scope covers the majority of goods traded between the two regions. The agreement follows the completion of negotiations between the Gulf Cooperation Council member states and the UK government. The specific product categories covered by the tariff elimination and the implementation timeline were not disclosed in the available material.

Bilateral trade volume reaches $70bn in 2025#

Trade between the GCC and the United Kingdom reached nearly $70bn during 2025, according to figures released alongside the agreement conclusion. The $70bn figure represents the total value of goods and services exchanged between the Gulf bloc and Britain over the calendar year. The trade volume provides the baseline against which the concluded agreement's commercial impact will be measured. The breakdown between GCC exports to the UK and UK exports to the Gulf was not specified in the published material.

Agreement follows completion of negotiation phase#

The free trade agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Kingdom reached conclusion following the completion of formal negotiations between the parties. The conclusion represents the end of the negotiation phase, with the agreed text now subject to ratification and implementation procedures in each jurisdiction. The date on which negotiations concluded and the timeline for bringing the agreement into force were not stated in the available information. The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Next steps require ratification and implementation#

The concluded agreement now enters the ratification and implementation phase in both the Gulf Cooperation Council member states and the United Kingdom. Each jurisdiction will follow its domestic procedures for approving and enacting the trade agreement. The tariff elimination provisions will take effect once the agreement enters into force, with the specific effective date dependent on the completion of ratification processes. The agreement's entry into force will determine when the 99 percent tariff removal on GCC exports becomes operative.