Food and Drinks Special Interest Group

Updates on the SPS agreement, and other developments that are shaping trade in the F&D Sector

The UK-EU SPS Agreement promises to revolutionise the UK's food and drink trading relationship with the EU, removing many of the barriers to trade that came about due to Brexit. With the new regime expected to be in place by mid-2027 uncertainty about the shape of the new arrangements is tempering excitement about the opportunities it will offer.

The new UK-Gulf Cooperation Free Trade Agreement also promises to open new doors for UK traders, allowing tariff-free access to countries on the Arabian Peninsula, offering opportunities for UK traders who can navigate the rules of the agreement.

Agenda

• The Special Interest Group will again focus on the UK-EU SPS Agreement, looking at any further detail and  developments made available since the last SIG meeting and examining how these may impact UK traders
• We will look at developments in global trade for food and drink which impact on UK traders, with a special focus on the UK-GCC FTA
• We will also have a guest speaker at the event who will be discussing their own international trade journey in food and drink, as well as highlighting some of the challenges that they have faced and how they have overcome them

When: 10am-10:45 BST, Wednesday 4^th November 2026

Where: Microsoft Teams | Interactive event