GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL — Prime Minister Keir Starmer struck a trade deal with the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, removing tariffs from 93% of British goods sold in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The agreement followed four years of talks led by four different prime ministers.

"Today's agreement is a huge win for British business, and for working people, who will feel the benefits in the years ahead through higher wages and more opportunities," Starmer said. It is the third trade deal concluded by Starmer, following pacts with India and South Korea.

The deal will offer £3.7 billion worth of opportunities for exporters, double the original estimates. It covers sectors including food, luxury cars, defense, aerospace, hospitality and other services. Food, medical equipment, defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing will face zero tariffs.

Exporters into the Gulf bloc previously faced a blanket tariff of 5%, with some products subject to higher duties. Cheddar cheese was taxed at 6%, chocolate at 15%, biscuits at 10% and cars at 5%. The Gulf states also agreed to allow UK firms to store data outside the region for the first time, and UK services, which account for 80% of the UK economy, will get guaranteed access to business in the six states.

The National Farmers' Union of England and Wales described the agreement as the best agricultural deal since the UK left the European Union, after the body saw off demands to lower poultry standards. The British Chambers of Commerce said the deal would create new business for firms in financial services, energy, construction, professional services, education, hospitality and technology.

"It offers potential to expand trade in the region and will be vital for tens of thousands of UK firms," said William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce. Gulf states export few goods outside petrochemicals to the UK, and those petrochemicals are already sold duty-free.

The deal does not include a chapter on human rights. The government did not seek one because it views political channels as the best place to raise those issues.

Tom Wills, director of the Trade Justice Movement, said inclusion of chapters on investor protection could pave the way for lawsuits in the UK if government policy changes, for example on a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which is part-owned by Qatar. Newcastle Football Club is part-owned by Saudi Arabia.

The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy condemned the deal, saying it legitimised repression. Paul Scriven, a Liberal Democrat peer who advocates for human rights in Bahrain, said: "We are witnessing a complete collapse of moral leadership from this Labour government."