The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on the Muizzu government to explain why discussions on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom were dropped from the latest round of bilateral dialogue, despite earlier progress under the previous administration.

In a statement released Sunday, the MDP expressed concern that the recently concluded UK-Maldives Strategic Dialogue did not include talks on reducing tariffs on Maldivian fish exports to the UK — a key issue from the first round of negotiations in 2023.

“The agreement is expected to bring about a revolutionary change in the fisheries sector and increase the price of fish purchased locally by raising export volumes,” the MDP said, urging the government to disclose the current status of the proposed FTA.

More than half of the Maldives’ canned fish products are exported to the UK. During its term, the MDP-led government reduced the UK import tariff from 24% to 20% in 2020 and initiated talks to eliminate the remaining duties altogether.

However, the issue was absent from the second round of the UK-Maldives Strategic Dialogue held last Wednesday, where discussions reportedly focused instead on UK immigration policy and visa challenges faced by Maldivians.

The initial meeting of the strategic dialogue took place on 20 February 2023 and centred on deepening trade cooperation — particularly in the fisheries sector, a major source of foreign revenue for the Maldives. After the talks, the UK government began a public consultation on 8 June 2023 to get feedback from stakeholders on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Maldives. The consultation ran for eight weeks, and the deal was expected to come into effect in 2025.

But despite the early progress, the MDP says the current government has put the FTA on the back burner since coming to power in November 2023, leaving businesses unsure about their future access to the UK market.

Even though the Maldives is part of the Commonwealth, it doesn’t get the same trade benefits with the UK that many other Commonwealth countries have through the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). As a result, Maldivian fish exports like yellowfin and skipjack tuna face a 20% tariff in the UK, making them less competitive than products from countries with trade deals. As a result, Maldivian fish exports, including yellowfin and skipjack tuna, face a 20% tariff in the UK, making them less competitive than products from countries with trade deals.

The MDP’s statement comes amid growing concern from fisheries exporters and local fishermen over stagnant export earnings and rising operational costs. The party called on the government to clarify whether securing favourable trade terms with the UK remains a foreign policy priority.