Digital Trade A Priority For UK In ASEAN Ties - Liz Lloyd

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Digital trade is a key priority for the United Kingdom (UK), not only in its engagement with ASEAN but also as part of its global economic strategy.

UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Lloyd, said the UK has made progress bilaterally with ASEAN members through its Digital Economic Agreement with Singapore and is also exploring potential digital trade agreements with Malaysia and Thailand.

“In the digital space, where I have a strong interest, we are continuing to work closely to advance digital trade through our Digital Innovation Programme,” she said in her remarks at the fifth ASEAN Economic Minister (AEM)-UK Consultation here today. 

Lloyd highlighted the progress of bilateral and regional initiatives, including the UK’s Digital Innovation Programme and its Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore, alongside exploratory talks with Malaysia and Thailand.

She said these efforts reflected a shared ambition to prevent barriers to digital trade and foster a more seamless, secure and inclusive digital economy.

Lloyd also reaffirmed the UK’s support for ASEAN’s Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA), describing it as a crucial step towards enabling exports and unlocking growth across the region.

She noted that the ASEAN-UK dialogue partnership has further strengthened its ties with the UK and delivered over 95 per cent of the commitments outlined in its 2022 Plan of Action in just over three years.

“This includes 45 out of the 54 commitments specifically focused on economy and trade, demonstrating our shared ambition for economic cooperation,” said Lloyd.

She added that the UK was aligning its refreshed economic work plan with ASEAN Vision 2045 and its own new trade and industrial strategies, ensuring future cooperation is both ambitious and practical.

Lloyd further pointed to London’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in December 2024 as a milestone in embedding the UK in the Indo-Pacific trading order.

She noted that the UK welcomed the CPTPP ministerial statement in May, which sets the scene for establishing a formal CPTPP-ASEAN Trade and Investment Dialogue.

“We see this proposed dialogue as a valuable opportunity to foster greater alignment, promote inclusive growth for people and businesses, and strengthen regional economic integration. We have been pleased to see the recent progress made to move this initiative forward, and we will continue to actively contribute to its development,” said Lloyd.

Meanwhile, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said ASEAN and the UK were committed to boosting two-way trade and investment and accelerating the growth of both economies.

“At the same time, the digital economy, as well as sustainability and green growth, have become central to our economic development agenda. We are pleased with the momentum of our economic relations thus far, and also, if you look at the numbers, they show good improvement in trade and investment,” he said.

-- BERNAMA