UK Opens Trade Consultation on Indonesia, Philippines, UAE and Uruguay

The UK government opened a public consultation on 14 July 2026 to gather views on deepening trade relationships with Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. The Department for Business and Trade is asking businesses, consumers, civil society groups, and individuals to help shape the approach before any formal negotiations begin. Responses close at 11:59pm on 14 September 2026.

The call for input does not commit the government to any specific negotiating route. For most of the four countries, CPTPP accession is identified as the most likely mechanism. Bilateral free trade agreements remain a separate option where accession is not applicable or not yet underway.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is a free trade agreement covering twelve countries, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. Its signatories represent a combined GDP of roughly £12 trillion, or close to 15% of global output.

The UK began accession negotiations in June 2021, substantially concluded them in March 2023, and formally signed the accession protocol in July 2023. Full membership took effect on 15 December 2024. As of 22 June 2026, the agreement is in force between the UK and ten CPTPP members. Canada has yet to ratify the UK's accession when it does, the provisions will apply 60 days later.

CPTPP is designed to expand. It contains accession provisions that allow new countries to join following negotiations with existing members. That is the route now being explored for all four countries covered by this consultation.

The four countries are at different stages. Uruguay is the most advanced, CPTPP parties established an Accession Working Group with Uruguay in 2025, and meetings are already scheduled throughout 2026.

Indonesia, the Philippines and the UAE are at an earlier point. CPTPP members, including the UK, announced the start of preparatory discussions on accession with these three countries on 26 June 2026, less than three weeks before this consultation launched.

The consultation document makes clear that CPTPP accession is not assumed to be the only route. For any of the four countries where a bilateral free trade agreement might be more appropriate or more achievable, the government says it will consider that option too.

The call for input asks respondents to set out the opportunities, priorities, and considerations they associate with deepening trade ties with these four economies. That includes sector specific views for example, which goods or services exporters most want to access in each market, and what regulatory or tariff barriers currently stand in the way.

All responses must be submitted online. The Department for Business and Trade has published individual information notes for each country, plus a separate note explaining how CPTPP accession and free trade agreements work. These are available alongside the consultation document on GOV.UK.

Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant said the UK had significant opportunities to unlock new markets through CPTPP. "This Call for Input will ensure that both businesses and consumers shape our approach to global trade and enable us to seize exciting export opportunities with both hands," he said.

This consultation sits within the government's broader trade strategy, which frames trade as central to driving economic growth, increasing exports, and creating higher value jobs. The UK has pursued an active trade agenda since leaving the European Union, concluding agreements with Australia, New Zealand and others before joining CPTPP itself.

Negotiations with Costa Rica under CPTPP concluded on 6 May 2026, with signature expected later in 2026. That accession, alongside the four countries now under discussion, would extend CPTPP's reach further into South East Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

The government has not set a timeline for when formal accession negotiations with any of the four countries might begin, the consultation is explicitly a pre-negotiation evidence gathering exercise. How quickly things move will depend partly on what respondents say, and partly on the state of preparatory discussions with each country.