Talks between the UK and Greenland have officially restarted, aiming to strike a new trade deal that could make seafood cheaper for British families and boost economic ties between the
two countries.
Right now, seafood from Greenland—worth around £70 million a year to the UK—is subject to tariffs of up to 20%. Those extra costs hit both shoppers and restaurants after the UK left the EU. The new agreement hopes to scrap those tariffs, cutting prices and supporting the UK’s seafood processing hubs, such as Grimsby Fish Market and Royal Greenland UK.
Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “This partnership represents an opportunity to restore our trading relationship with Greenland and deliver real benefits for British families and businesses.
By eliminating tariffs on Greenlandic seafood, we can help to bring down prices on supermarket shelves whilst supporting thousands of jobs in our fish-packing industry, putting more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change”.
Andrew Wrigley, Country Director at Royal Greenland UK, said: “We welcome the renewed negotiations on a trade agreement between Greenland and the United Kingdom. A modernised deal that reduces tariffs on seafood would strengthen our long-standing commercial ties and ensure continued access to high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood for our British consumers.
For Royal Greenland, it represents not only an economic opportunity but also a reaffirmation of our role as a reliable trading partner in the North Atlantic. We see this as a step towards deeper cooperation built on shared interests and mutual respect”.
Martyn Boyers, Chief Executive of Grimsby Fish Market and Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, said: “Greenland plays an important role in the Seafood Industry and historically there have been strong partnerships with the UK, creating trade and opportunities for both sides.
Creating a platform for talks to restart and further cooperation can only be a good thing, especially for Grimsby, where a lot of the product imported from Greenland – particularly frozen prawns and white fish – is brought for packing by local seafood businesses”.
Eldur Olafsson, CEO of UK listed Amaroq Ltd, said: “The resumption of talks is very good news for Greenland’s emerging mining sector and reaffirms the strategic importance of Greenland’s mineral resources to the global economy.
As the most active mining and exploration company in Greenland, including of critical metals such as copper and nickel, we look forward to collaborating with the UK to establish a sustainable supply chain for these essential materials”.
This would be Greenland’s first-ever bilateral free trade agreement, and the two nations plan to use it as a springboard for wider cooperation in areas like climate research, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and education. The talks also build on the UK’s £81 million investment in studying climate tipping points in Greenland through the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).
The renewed negotiations follow a meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen.
Together, the UK, Greenland, and Denmark aim to deepen cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic, building a more secure and prosperous future for the region—and for British consumers at home. Photo by Giles Laurent, Wikimedia commons.