Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will launch negotiations between the UK and Israel for a new, innovation-focused trade deal.

UK tech firms and services companies are set to benefit from a future UK-Israel trade deal, that will seek to establish a modern, revamped trading relationship between two of the world’s services superpowers.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will launch negotiations between the UK and Israel for a new, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Israel has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and their demand for digital products and services is expected to grow rapidly. The UK’s existing bilateral FTA with Israel contains no specific provisions on services, creating a huge opportunity to enhance the agreement.

This includes boosting UK services exports to Israel by up to £78 million, from insurance to computer and technology services, supporting jobs and growing high-tech industries by reducing barriers to trade.

A new upgraded deal would expand a trading relationship already worth £5 billion a year. It could benefit 6,600 UK businesses, including 5,600 small and medium-sized enterprises, employing over 1.7 million people in 2020, who are exporting their goods to Israel by reducing trade barriers.

International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

The UK and Israel are both modern, hi-tech services superpowers, but our current trading relationship is based on an agreement from 1995, before smartphones, the internet, and digitally delivered services transformed the global economy.

We want a deal that will play to British strengths, while stimulating innovation and increasing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK. Combining the power of our economies in a revamped trade deal will boost trade, support jobs and help take our economic relationship to the next level.

The Secretary of State will meet Israel’s Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely to launch the talks in London.

A bold new modernised deal could also provide greater economic opportunities for exporters across the UK regions and nations, including LEVC’s iconic electric black cabs in Coventry, Tomatin Distillery in Scotland, and Concrete Canvas in Wales.

Trade Strategy Partner for EY, Sally Jones said:

EY welcomes the intention to upgrade the Free Trade Agreement between the UK and Israel. This is an opportunity to put services, digital technology and innovation at the heart of the UK and Israel’s already-strong trading relationship. Both the UK and Israel are known for their vibrant tech and fintech sectors, which will both benefit from this new deal.

The UK’s world leading professional and business services sector is an unrivalled ecosystem which boosts competitiveness and facilitates international trade. With the opening-up of new trade and investment opportunities, businesses need to be looking at their trade strategies now to be able to seize these opportunities and drive economic prosperity.

Head of Tax and Trade Policy for Deloitte UK, Amanda Tickel said:

We welcome negotiations between the UK and Israel on an enhanced FTA, which could take our bilateral trade and investment relationship to a new level.

Both the UK and Israel are services-led economies with highly successful tech sectors, yet the existing terms of trade contain only limited provisions in these areas. This negotiation represents an exciting opportunity for UK services exporters, making it easier to trade across borders, to travel and work in each economy and support our digital innovators.

UK Managing Director at eToro, Daniel Moczulski said:

We are immensely proud of the journey that eToro has been on over the past 15 years, from an ambitious start-up in Tel Aviv to a thriving global brand and the world leading social investment network, with over 27 million registered users in more than 100 countries. A crucial part of this journey was eToro’s arrival in the UK, a market which has always encouraged innovation in the financial sector.

The UK market has become incredibly important to eToro’s business, and we are lucky to have a very talented team in London serving a large number of UK retail investors – we welcome the launch of UK-Israel trade talks to create more opportunities for innovators in both the UK and Israel.