FTA between UK and Australia: a short update

In the official website of the Australian Trade Department it is stated that: “…During his visit to the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced 31 May as the date of entry into force of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA), following the expected completion of UK domestic processes…”; this statement is alligned with the HMRC website for which: “…These are the trade agreements that businesses can use soon, but that are not yet in force. Once an agreement is reached, it is signed and then scrutinised by Parliament. Following this, the agreement can then be ratified. Only when this is complete, and any implementing legislation has been passed, can it be entered into force, which means it can be used by businesses trading with that country. The UK signed agreements with Australia (16 December 2021) and New Zealand (28 February 2022). The UK also signed agreements with Madagascar (4 November 2021) and Comoros (12 April 2022) under the economic partnership agreement with Eastern and Southern African countries (ESA)…”.

It is important to check if really the FTA will actually enter into force on 31.05.2023.