UK Marks Agreement in Principle to Continue Free Trade With South Africa, Surrounding Countries After Brexit

The United Kingdom announced that on Sept. 10 that with formal talks concluded, it has initialed and is close to signing a trade continuity agreement that will continue current trade relations with the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique after Brexit. The agreement will continue tariff treatment under the European Union economic partnership agreement with the countries after the U.K. is no longer subject to EU trade agreements, allowing U.K. businesses to continue trade on preferential terms with South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini and Mozambique. The agreement marks a leap of 10 percent in total trade currently covered by U.K. trade continuity agreements.