Trade

The Government has published information to help businesses prepare for a potential EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which is currently under negotiation.

The UK has concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with a central commitment to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to exporting to the region, with some tariffs phased out over time and others beginning straight away.

AIC Fertiliser Sector Members are invited to a Regulatory and Environmental Update Meeting , covering political and lobbying activity, the Gulf crisis, market statistics, and key regulatory developments including CBAM, fertiliser regulation and REACH.

AIC reminds Members of its UK–EU SPS sector priorities, developed through committee input and Member feedback, with full details and updates available via the dedicated SPS area on the AIC website.

AIC has stepped up engagement with UK Government in response to fertiliser market disruption linked to the Gulf conflict, focusing on maintaining demand, improving policy clarity and reducing supply chain risk to support UK food production resilience.

Agricultural Industries Confederation’s (AIC) summaries its cross‑sector priorities for a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, bringing together asks across crop protection, animal feed, combinable crops and seeds.

AIC has been contacted by the Canadian High Commission in the UK, with an invitation for AIC Members to attend a Global Commodities Showcase, taking place from 15-17 July 2026 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

The European Commission has published its simplification package for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) simplification package, which had been expected on 30 April 2026, is now more likely to be published early next week, according to information shared via the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC).

AIC hosted a Members-only webinar on Thursday, 2 April 2026 at 14:00 to update on the UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The Government has decided to introduce a lighter‑touch ATRm, recognising the disproportionate burden of requiring all importing UK businesses to register full safety data for thousands of substances post‑Brexit.

Members are encouraged to share any specific regulatory or policy interventions that Government could take, particularly where fuel supply or costs are affecting operations, so these can be raised directly in AIC’s ongoing discussions.

Following notification of a possible Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), AIC Chief Executive, Robert Sheasby and AIC Sector Head for Fertilisers, Jo Gilbertson, held a private meeting with the Farming Minister.

The Government has laid before Parliament the draft Statutory Instrument (SI) titled The REACH (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026. This is accompanied by a draft explanatory memorandum and a final stage impact assessment.

Recent weeks have seen rising political and stakeholder attention on fertiliser pricing, transparency, and the possibility of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) involvement.