The Australia-UK Trade Working Group met in Canberra on 19 to 20 April 2018.
It was the third meeting of the Trade Working Group since it was established in September 2016 by:
- the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment
- the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade
The meeting brought together senior officials to identify practical steps Australia and the UK can take to deepen their existing trade and investment relationship.
The delegations were led by officials from:
- the UK’s Department of International Trade (DIT)
- Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
They included representatives from a wide range of UK and Australian government departments.
The Trade Working Group continued to build momentum towards the shared commitment to begin bilateral FTA negotiations once the UK leaves the European Union.
Discussions covered a range of topics to help build a shared understanding of both countries’ approaches and ambitions for the future bilateral trade and investment relationship.
The Trade Working Group also discussed broader trade policy issues of mutual interest, including World Trade Organization processes and the wider regional and plurilateral trade landscape.
The Trade Working Group reflects a strong political commitment by Australia and the UK to take a leadership role in the global rules-based multilateral trading system.
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