Deal aims to cut seafood prices for British shoppers
Talks have resumed on a UK-Greenland trade deal that could see tariffs scrapped on more than £70 million worth of seafood imports, promising cheaper prices for shoppers and a boost for coastal economies such as Grimsby.
The Department for Business and Trade confirmed that negotiations – paused before last year’s general election – are back on, with the aim of eliminating tariffs of up to 20% introduced after Brexit. The deal would restore near duty-free access to Greenlandic seafood, including prawns, shrimp and cod, while strengthening cooperation on critical minerals and Arctic security.
Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said the partnership would “restore our trading relationship with Greenland and deliver real benefits for British families and businesses.”
“By eliminating tariffs on Greenlandic seafood, we can help bring down prices on supermarket shelves while supporting thousands of jobs in our fish-packing industry,” he added.
Boost for Grimsby and UK processors
The UK imports about £70 million of seafood from Greenland each year – much of it processed in Grimsby, where the industry employs almost 16,000 people.
Martyn Boyers, Chief Executive of Grimsby Fish Market, said renewed cooperation “can only be a good thing,” highlighting the city’s long history with Greenlandic suppliers. “A lot of the product imported from Greenland – particularly frozen prawns and white fish – is brought to Grimsby for packing by local seafood businesses,” he said.
Andrew Wrigley, Country Director of Royal Greenland UK, welcomed the negotiations, calling a modernised deal “a reaffirmation of our role as a reliable trading partner in the North Atlantic.”
Strategic partnership in the Arctic
Beyond seafood, the proposed agreement will deepen collaboration in critical minerals, where British companies already hold a third of mining licences in Greenland. Officials said the goal is to build resilient supply chains for key resources such as copper and nickel, reducing reliance on volatile global markets.
Eldur Olafsson, CEO of Amaroq Ltd, said the talks “reaffirm Greenland’s strategic importance to the global economy” and would help establish “a sustainable supply chain for essential materials.”
The announcement follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s meeting in Copenhagen with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen at the European Political Community summit.
If completed, it would mark Greenland’s first bilateral free trade agreement, opening the door to further cooperation in renewable energy, education, and Arctic research – part of Britain’s wider Plan for Change to strengthen economic growth and regional security.
