THE new year is fast shaping up to be an eventful one for Britain as it continues to deepen its involvement and presence in Singapore and across the Asia-Pacific region, especially on the trade front.

Negotiations are in the final stretch for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free trade deal signed by 11 Pacific Rim countries including Singapore and the US in 2018.

The UK and India – the third-largest economy in Asia and the current president of the G20 – have already completed six rounds of talks for a free trade agreement, as officials from both sides look to finalise the pact that aims to double bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2030.