UK Releases Document Outlining Approach to Trade Deal Negotiations With EU

The United Kingdom government released on Feb. 27 a document outlining its approach to negotiations with the European Union on a permanent arrangement following Brexit. The document sets out the U.K.’s approach to negotiating a free trade agreement with the EU that removes all tariffs and quotas, including rules of origin, customs provisions and sectoral agreements. It draws heavily on recent EU trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and especially Canada for examples.

Reflecting a campaign promise from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the document says the U.K. will not extend the transition period past Dec. 31, 2020. “The Government would hope that,” by June, “the broad outline of an agreement would be clear and be capable of being rapidly finalised by September. If that does not seem to be the case at the June meeting, the Government will need to decide whether the UK’s attention should move away from negotiations and focus solely on continuing domestic preparations to exit the transition period in an orderly fashion,” the document said.

“Talks with the EU on our future relationship begin next week and it is our aim to secure a comprehensive free trade agreement as well as agreement on questions such as fisheries, internal security and aviation,” said Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove as he announced the report to Parliament. While he expressed confidence a deal would be reached, he said that “the British people should be in no doubt: at the end of the Transition Period, on the 31 December, the United Kingdom will fully recover its economic and political independence. We want the best possible trading relationship with the EU but in pursuit of a deal we will not trade away our sovereignty.”