Northern Ireland to benefit from recent trade deals
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-23)

Trade deals with India, US and the EU to help drive growth in Northern Ireland as tariffs on key industries slashed.

- Prime Minister to meet with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the benefits of his recent trade deals.
- Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
- Delivers job security for workers in Northern Ireland and will create more highly skilled jobs in communities.
Trade deals with India, US and the EU to help drive growth in Northern Ireland as tariffs on key industries slashed.

These deals will deliver benefits that communities across Northern Ireland will feel – supporting job creation, reducing costs and expanding export opportunities.

This means stronger economic growth across Northern Ireland – delivering our Plan for Change.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

These trade deals deliver long term security for people in Northern Ireland. They will create opportunities for more seamless trade and attract inward investment to grow the economy, making a difference to people’s lives.

These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.

He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.

Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB):

An SPS deal is a win and signals the beginning of making sure that businesses in Northern Ireland face less bureaucracy.

Three deals in two weeks is a very positive start to trade negotiations. There’s more work to be done, but let’s keep it going. An agreement with the US, greater opportunities for trade with India and the UK-EU deal mark a major reset in relationships, moving us away from the stalemate of the past. This represents progress which can help drive growth and opportunity for businesses in Northern Ireland.

We must continue to build better relationships and work more closely with our closest trading partners. If we can harness the potential which deals with the EU, India and the US provide, we can turn ambition into success.

Last year, 143 business exported £65 million in goods to India last year. Our deal means the total number of exports from Northern Ireland is likely to grow as it is set to halve the tariffs on Irish Whiskey from 150% to 75% before they reduce to 40% over ten years.

In addition, advanced manufacturing that accounts for 11% of employment in Northern Ireland will benefit from India reducing or eliminating tariffs across a wide range of industrial products, including aerospace, medical technologies, or electronics.

India’s commitment to increasing trade with Northern Ireland is further demonstrated in the opening of a Consulate in Belfast in March this year.

For the first time ever, the landmark US-UK deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef to the US market. This is a major opportunity for Northern Ireland farmers to sell their high-quality beef to a market of over 300 million people, helping farmers grow their business.

The deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors. The Government is continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said:

These deals open the door to new export opportunities for Northern Ireland, giving businesses greater access to some of the world’s largest markets.

With smoother trade into the EU, growing export opportunities with the US and India, as well as smoother movement of goods within the UK, Northern Ireland is uniquely positioned for investment and growth, and these deals will boost key sectors like agri-food, biotech, and whiskey—strengthening Northern Ireland’s economy and supporting jobs.

This strategic partnership with the EU will also support jobs and growth in Northern Ireland whilst protecting Northern Ireland’s unique access to the EU single market provided by the Windsor Framework. The agri-food agreement with the EU will remove Sanitary/Phytosanitary (SPS) frictions, reducing costs and protecting the UK’s internal market. The security and defence deal will strengthen our security and support Northern Ireland defence businesses, and cooperation on law enforcement will help prevent crime and bring perpetrators to justice, and linking our Emissions Trading System schemes will help avoid hikes in bills and prices.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need.

We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Northern Ireland, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.