GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026

EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is the framework governing the economic and trade relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom following Brexit, in force since 1 January 2021.

Quick Answer

Last updated: 26 June 2026Published: 22 November 2025

Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A22021A0430%2801%29

Category

Find a matching partner on this lane

Reading time

1 min

Words

125

Mentioned in

–

Definition & Explanation

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is the framework governing the economic and trade relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom following Brexit, in force since 1 January 2021. It covers goods trade, services, fisheries, investment, and cooperation in fields such as transport and energy. For freight forwarders and shippers, the TCA marked a sharp operational break: frictionless Single Market access gave way to full customs controls, rules-of-origin verification, and new pre-arrival filing obligations including the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). Duty-free trade remains available, but only where rules-of-origin criteria are satisfied and documentation is complete – failing that, standard third-country tariffs apply. The TCA is not a customs union: border formalities remain in place, and only tariffs on qualifying goods are eliminated.

Next steps

Matching tools and partners

Calculate customs valueWork out import duties and customs valueOpen Find HS codeDetermine the tariff number for customsOpen Compare IncotermsClarify duties, cost and riskOpen Find a matching partnerFreight forwarders and logistics partners worldwideOpen

Related Terms

You might also be interested in these terms

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

When an EU exporter ships goods to Canada, CETA should be the first trade agreement to check. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade…

EFTA Free Trade Agreement

A Swiss pharmaceutical company exporting active ingredients to Mexico pays substantially reduced import duties under the EFTA–Mexi…

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Customs brokers and exporters moving goods between the United States, Canada, and Mexico relied on NAFTA – the North American Free…

NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, was the trilateral trade accord between Canada, Mexico, and the United States, whi…

US–Chile Free Trade Agreement

The US–Chile Free Trade Agreement, in force since 2004, delivers tariff elimination and reciprocal market access as its core benef…

India–Japan CEPA

The India–Japan CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) is a bilateral trade deal in force since 2011, reducing tariff…

Connect

Find a matching partner on this lane

Verified forwarders, ranked by coverage and profile — premium capped at 10%.

Search partners

Logistics knowledge straight to your inbox

Free · No password · Never a paywall. Weekly top news and facts from logistics.

Cite this page

Writing a report, paper or LinkedIn post? Use one of these citation templates.

Recommended format: Source: Freight Academy – EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) (https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/euuk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-tca), accessed 2026-10-28
APA style: Freight Academy Editorial Team. (2025). EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Freight Academy. https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/euuk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-tca
BibTeX: @misc{euuktradeand2025, title = {EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)}, author = {{Freight Academy Editorial Team}}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/euuk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-tca}, note = {Freight Academy, accessed 2026-10-28} }

Content reviewed and editorially cleared.

Community Questions & Answers

Share your knowledge, ask follow-up questions, or add practical insights to this page. Every contribution is moderated before publication.

No community answers yet. Be the first.