UK and Maldives Pursue Closer Trade Ties as Tuna Tariff Relief Runs to 2028

The Maldives and the United Kingdom have agreed to pursue closer cooperation in fisheries, tourism, renewable energy and financial services following their third strategic dialogue in London.

Senior officials met on 17 September. A joint communiqué published the following day records discussions on investment, trade, consular services and marine conservation.

The Maldives welcomed the UK's suspension of tuna import tariffs through 31 December 2028. The two governments also cited more than 200,000 visits from the United Kingdom to the Maldives in 2025.

The meeting was co-chaired by Laure Beaufils, the UK's director for South Asia and Afghanistan, and Hala Hameed, secretary at the Maldivian Foreign Ministry.

Officials discussed further work under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme, covering ocean governance, marine conservation and climate resilience. The dialogue also reviewed consular cooperation between the countries.

How tariff suspensions operate

UK government guidance describes duty suspensions as temporary reductions or removals of import duties on specified goods.

They apply to eligible goods from any country or territory under the most-favoured-nation principle, subject to the conditions attached to the product. A suspension does not remove other applicable taxes, including VAT, or trade-remedy duties.

The guidance distinguishes suspensions from autonomous tariff quotas. A suspension permits unlimited quantities of the covered goods at the reduced tariff, while a quota limits the quantity eligible for the concession.

Current suspensions and their expiry dates are recorded in the UK's trade tariff service and tariff suspension reference document. The September dialogue did not announce a separate Maldives-only free trade agreement.

The two countries also discussed education, including Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships, and agreed to explore additional cooperation in the sector.

The strategic dialogue followed earlier rounds in 2023 and 2025. Its agenda included policing, maritime security and technical training alongside the economic discussions.

The joint statement records agreement to continue the dialogue annually, with senior officials from both governments participating in the process.