UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant recently visited Argentina and Brazil in a bid to boost trade with South America’s two largest economies and make it cheaper and easier for British businesses to export to the two countries.
The trip, which started on 18 September, marks the first major bilateral trade engagement with Argentina since 2018. “My visit will help unblock some of the difficulties British businesses face when exporting to these hugely important markets, delivering practical benefits and unlocking new commercial opportunities across the UK,” Bryant said in a statement.
One goal of the meetings is to advance negotiations with Brazil on customs, good regulatory practices and export credit. This includes discussions on a potential Conformity Assessment Mutual Recognition Agreement, which would cut red tape by allowing goods to be certified before being shipped between the countries, reducing costs for exporters. Bryant’s schedule also included talks on a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement to speed up border checks and improve supply chain security.
Bryant was also expected to sign a Statement of Intent to begin recognising Authorised Economic Operators, enabling faster processing and clearance of goods traveling between the UK and Brazil.
The UK’s trade with Brazil has reached a record £12.3bn, making Brazil the UK’s 26th-largest trading partner. UK officials see even more growth potential in sectors such as clean energy, life sciences and digital trade.
Diversifying trading partners
In Argentina, the focus is on improving market access and celebrating regulatory progress, including a reception to toast Argentina’s decision to cut Scotch whisky tariffs from 35% to 20% and grant the spirit its first-ever foreign Geographic Indication protection. The UK government said it hoped this would boost international sales of Scotch whisky, of which 1.4bn bottles were exported globally in 2024 to the value of £5.4bn, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.
Trade between the UK and Argentina grew 10% in the 12 months to March 2025 to reach an all-time high of £2.2bn.
Argentina and Brazil’s talks with the UK highlight their commitment to diversifying their trading partners amid US President Donald Trump’s global trade war. Bryant’s visit comes on the heels of the signing of a trade agreement on 16 September between the European Free Trade Association — made up of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein — and South American trade bloc Mercosur, which Argentina and Brazil are members, along with Uruguay and Paraguay.
While each country must ratify the agreement before it comes into effect, it will create a market of 290 million consumers with a combined gross domestic product of US$4.39tn, according to a statement on Agência Brasil.