International trade and investment

Our international work

A key priority of our international strategy is to contribute to the development of a UK trade and investment policy that promotes the international growth of member firms and advances the UK’s world-leading position in financial and related professional services.

With the support of our International Trade and Investment Group, we do this by:

  • Encouraging collaboration between industry, government and regulators to promote the UK’s international competitiveness, grow the UK’s share in global financial and professional services’ markets, and build new capabilities in key areas of future growth
  • Developing and maintaining bilateral trade and investment. relationships with major trading partners and countries which present significant opportunities for UK-based companies.
  • Ensuring these key relationships help deliver UK ambitions in plurilateral and multilateral contexts, influencing the future shape of the UK’s regulatory, legal and tax regimes and the approach of its regulatory and supervisory authorities; this includes the evolution of the frameworks affecting businesses as they adapt to technological, environmental and social change.
  • Developing potential opportunities for the industry in developed, emerging and niche markets.
  • Supporting key market initiatives and services trade.
  • Continuing to be a partner to UK Government efforts to deepen economic relationships with key markets such as the US, China, Switzerland, Japan and Singapore.
  • Drawing on work of the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG) on international standards and multilateral/cross-cutting regulatory issues across different markets to advise the work of the Market Advisory Groups.

Scroll through the infographics below to find out more about the UK’s status as an international finance centre:

Our latest international trade and investment work:

Sovereign Wealth Funds: Global trends and the UK’s role in the evolving landscape for Sovereign Investment Vehicles

Our latest Sovereign Wealth Funds report reveals how their rapid growth in recent decades — particularly in emerging markets — and increasing focus on sustainable investments, has seen them become an undeniably crucial part of the wider fund management sector.

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TheCityUK response to the Strategic Defence Review 2024-25

Read our full Strategic Defence Review which emphasises the role of the financial and related professional services industry in supporting the defence-tech-finance ecosystem and contributing to national security and economic growth.

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Our latest international trade and investment news:

Press release

Global Sovereign Wealth Fund assets under management soar to record high

Blog

Financial and related professional services exports: a deeper dive into growth trends

Blog

UK-EU financial services exports: which countries are most prominent?

Comment

TheCityUK response to the UK’s ratification of the CPTPP

Events:

TheCityUK National Conference 2024

Register now for our 2024 event taking place at the Library of Birmingham on Tuesday 26 November. In light of the government's renewed focus on regional growth and devolution, this year's conference is a great opportunity to look at the role of our industry in enabling inclusive growth across the UK.

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TheCityUK International Conference 2024

If you missed out on our 2024 event, the sessions from our popular International Conference are available to watch now.

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