China-UK Export to China Trade Session (MOFCOM Briefing)
Published: July 26, 2026
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Last verified: Jul 26, 2026 · Report an issue
Executive Summary
China's Ministry of Commerce and the UK Department for Business and Trade jointly hosted the 'Export to China' UK Session in London on July 1, 2026, as part of China's initiative to encourage UK exports. The event featured targeted business matchmaking across sectors like automobiles, energy, life sciences, and sporting events, with over 100 UK companies and 40 Chinese firms participating. This reflects China's commitment to expanding imports and deepening bilateral trade ties, including exploring a potential China-UK services trade agreement.
Key Points
The UK is the first country to sign a memorandum of understanding on 'Export to China' cooperation with China and is one of five feature countries for the 2026 initiative.
The London session was co-hosted by Chinese Minister Wang Wentao and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle, receiving strong support from both governments and business communities.
Matchmaking discussions covered multiple sectors including automobiles, energy and chemicals, instruments and meters, sporting events, and life sciences, with participation from about 40 Chinese and over 100 UK companies.
UK Secretary of State Peter Kyle noted alignment between the UK's industrial development strategy and China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), creating cooperation opportunities.
Examples of successful UK-China trade include Diageo's whisky exports growing due to Chinese tariff reductions, AstraZeneca expanding investment, and Glasgow Airport cooperating with Chinese airlines to facilitate exports.
Bilateral services trade between China and the UK exceeded USD 30 billion in 2025, with joint efforts underway for a feasibility study on a China-UK services trade agreement to further boost cooperation.
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