Mexico and the United Kingdom will hold the First Round of Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries
Today, in a hybrid format, the First Round of Negotiations for a high-standard Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the United Kingdom that responds to the reality of world trade in the 21st century began in Mexico City. The Round is being chaired by Ismael Ortiz, chief negotiator of Mexico, and Charlotte Heyes, chief negotiator of the United Kingdom.
This First Round of Negotiations, which will last until July 15th, is carried out following the commitments established in the Trade Continuity Agreement between Mexico and the United Kingdom. This agreement established that negotiations for a new Free Trade Agreement would begin during its first year of validity. This First Round also follows the meeting between the Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier, and the Secretary of State for International Trade of the United Kingdom, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, on May 20th in London where the trade talks formally began.
During this Round, at the more than thirty negotiating tables, the discussions will focus on defining market access of commodities and services of both countries, as well as the disciplines that will be agreed upon in each of the topics that will integrate the Agreement.
Different Mexican Federal Public Administration agencies will participate in discussions related to market access of commodities, rules of origin, customs cooperation and trade facilitation, public procurement, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, services, and investment, among other disciplines.
For Mexico, the United Kingdom is its 16th largest trading partner globally. In 2021, bilateral trade exceeded 5 billion dollars, and the UK is the 8th source of foreign direct investment in Mexico.
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