Competition Act 1998: Primary UK legislation governing competition law, including Chapter I prohibitions on anti-competitive agreements, regulations on vertical agreements, exemptions, and market dominance considerations
Enterprise Act 2002: Legislation covering merger control provisions and market investigation references that may affect exclusive trade arrangements
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Legislation protecting consumer interests and regulating unfair contract terms, relevant if the trade agreement affects consumer sales
Sale of Goods Act 1979: Fundamental legislation governing terms relating to quality, fitness for purpose, and transfer of property in goods
Retained EU Competition Law: Post-Brexit retained EU laws including Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation (VABER) and Article 101 TFEU principles as incorporated into UK law
Common Law Contract Principles: Fundamental principles of contract law including offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, and capacity to contract
International Trade Laws: Relevant international trade regulations, WTO rules, and applicable trade agreements for cross-border transactions
Sector-Specific Regulations: Industry-specific regulations that may apply depending on the business sector (e.g., financial services, pharmaceuticals)
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: Data protection legislation relevant if the trade agreement involves processing of personal data
