The UK Commerce Department said the UK signed a trade agreement with Canada on Saturday. This makes the North American country the second major country with which the United Kingdom will enter into a trade agreement after Brexit. In early September, islanders already signed a trade agreement with Japan.
The deal will prevent trade barriers from suddenly appearing between the UK and Canada starting in January, when the British will leave the European Union forever. Without a deal, there will be tariffs on the 20 billion pounds (22.4 billion euros) of products, such as salmon and gin, that are moved back and forth between countries.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the news. “This is a great deal for the UK to secure trade across the Atlantic with one of our best friends,” Johnson said.
The agreement does not mean that the talks between the two countries will end. According to UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss, the two sides will continue to talk to each other to reach a more comprehensive agreement next year. Today’s deal includes £ 20 billion in trade and helps preserve thousands of jobs. We look forward to a more ambitious trade deal next year, with the goal of creating more opportunities for our business and our lives for our residents, “said Truss.
The deal with Canada is the UK’s second trade deal since leaving the European Union in January. The British already struck a trade agreement with Japan in September. The ability to negotiate trade agreements with different countries on your own has been one of the drivers of the Brexit campaign in the United Kingdom.
