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As the UK seeks to open new doors around the world in the lead up to and after Brexit, the Government has decided to open a new service designed to give people the chance to have their say on prospective trade negotiations.
According to Gov.uk, the UK will for the first time in over 40 years, be able to determine who it trades with, which is why it is seeking the opinions of businesses and the public on future trading agreements.
It says: “We want to maximise our trade opportunities globally and across all countries – both by boosting our trading relationships with old friends and new allies, and by seeking a deep and special partnership with the EU.
“In six months’ time, the UK will have the opportunity to begin negotiating, signing, and ratifying Free Trade Agreements to bring them into force from January 2021.”
It has promised that these initial online consultations will help to inform its “overall approach to our future trade relationship.”
The consultations are as follows:
- Consultation on trade negotiations with the United States
- Consultation on trade negotiations with Australia
- Consultation on trade negotiations with New Zealand
- Consultation on the UK potentially seeking accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, said: “These consultations are about how we position ourselves as Global Britain. To build the export markets, investment opportunities and trading relationships of the future.
“Trade affects us all – whether it is through the prices and availability of product on our supermarket shelves, to the resources available for our public services, to the jobs and investment on which we all rely.”
