London, UK – The United Kingdom has unveiled new trade reforms, effective July 10, 2025, designed to simplify market access for African exporters and strengthen economic ties with developing countries. Known as the “Trade for Development,” these measures are part of the UK’s broader strategy to deepen partnerships, boost Nigerian exports, create jobs, and support economic growth across the African continent.
Key upgrades to the Developing Countries Trade Scheme (DCTS) include simplified rules of origin. This will enable all DCTS countries, including those like Nigeria that are further up the value chain, to source inputs for finished goods from anywhere across Africa while maintaining tariff-free entry into the UK. This change is expected to stimulate trade not only with the UK but also among African nations, potentially helping to unlock the African Continental Free Trade Area’s estimated $3.4 trillion potential. Last year, over £3.2 billion worth of goods imported into the UK from African countries benefited from existing UK development trading arrangements.
UK Minister for Development Jenny Chapman stated, “The world is changing. Countries in the Global South want a different relationship with the UK as a trading partner and investor, not as a donor. These new rules will make it easier for developing countries to trade more closely with the UK. This is good for their economies and for UK consumers and businesses.” UK Minister for Trade Policy Douglas Alexander added, “No country has ever lifted itself out of poverty without trading with its neighbours. Over recent decades trade has been an essential ingredient in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty around the globe.”
In addition to the DCTS changes, the UK will provide targeted support to help African exporters meet UK standards and navigate customs procedures. It will also make it easier for partner countries to trade services – such as digital, legal, and financial services – by strengthening future trade agreements. These updated rules align with the UK’s wider Trade for Development offer, which seeks to support economic growth in partner countries while benefiting UK businesses and consumers with high-quality, affordable goods. They also fall in line with the UK’s new Trade Strategy, which prioritises growth through global partnerships and future-facing markets.
The DCTS, launched in 2023 following the UK’s exit from the EU, is the UK’s flagship trade preference scheme, covering 65 countries and offering reduced or zero tariffs on thousands of products. The announcement follows extensive engagement with UK businesses, international partners, major importers, and trade associations.
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