snowychap Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Brexit: UK has rolled over just £16bn out of £117bn trade deals Quote The government’s push to roll over EU trade deals from which the UK currently benefits has yielded agreements covering only £16bn of the near-£117bn of British trade with the countries involved. Despite frenetic efforts by ministers to ensure the continuity of international trade after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March, the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, has so far only managed to secure deals with seven of the 69 countries that the UK currently trades with under preferential EU free trade agreements, which will end after Brexit. ... Although the government announced a trade continuity agreement with Switzerland earlier this week ... That refers back to this article: UK signs Brexit trade continuity deal with Switzerland Quote Britain has signed a trade continuity agreement with Switzerland to avoid disruption for thousands of businesses post-Brexit, less than 50 days before the UK is due to leave the EU. The Department for International Trade said the agreement would maintain UK-Swiss trade under the preferential terms currently available to both countries through an EU free trade deal. ...more on link So that's Switzerland sorted whatever happens then, right? Erm, yes and no: What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit? Quote Press releases of the February 11 signing are here (UK) and here (Swiss). Note that the UK now calls it a “trade continuity agreement”, whereas two months earlier it described it as a “transition” to an eventual deal. Below is a rough translation of the French version, updated when the deal was signed, available here or on the Swiss government website here. The Economic Affairs Ministry’s main pages linking to the information sheets (the latest versions), are available in French, German and Italian (you can switch language via links at the top of the pages). The English page links to the German version. The information sheet goes through a number of relevant agreements. In each case it looks at “deal” (the UK leaves with the Withdrawal Agreement and transition), and “no deal”. “Deal” only looks at the transition, not beyond. Among the most extensive revisions in the February 11 version are in the section on rules of origin with “no deal”, and the removal of “double no deal” in government procurement. ... more on link and embedded links within text above removed So they've come to an agreement but the agreement is not the same if we leave without a withdrawal agreement as it is if we leave with one. An example from lower down that blog: Quote Agricultural Agreement Annex 11 (“Veterinary Agreement”) “Deal” scenario In the event of an “orderly” exit from the UK (with a transition period), this country will continue to be an integral part of the veterinary area to which Switzerland belongs under the veterinary annex of the agricultural agreement12. As a result, there will be no change in the veterinary relationship between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. For the companies and individuals concerned, this means that the Swiss-EU Veterinary Agreement will continue to apply in the same way and without change to trade between Switzerland and the United Kingdom until the expiry of the transition period. “No deal” scenario If the UK and the EU fail to reach an exit agreement, the UK will no longer be part of this area and will have the status of a third country. The term “third country” refers to all States except the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. In this case, the import of animals and animal products from third countries into Switzerland will only be possible under specific conditions. It cannot be ruled out that at the time of the exit of the UK from the EU, the trade of animals and animal products from the United Kingdom to Switzerland (and the whole veterinary area) is interrupted until the UK is listed by the EU on the list of third countries. The duration of this possible interruption will depend solely on the EU. Under the agricultural agreement, Switzerland is taking over the EU lists. Therefore, as soon as the United Kingdom has been recognized by the EU as a third country, the export of animals and animal products to the EU and Switzerland will be possible again. However, animals and products of animal origin will then be subject to EU import regulations applicable to third countries. Existing legislation on the import, transit and export of animals and animal products to third countries is available on the website of the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (FSVO). Usual caveat applies/caveats apply about accuracy of someone else's work, &c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 13, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 12 minutes ago, snowychap said: Brexit: UK has rolled over just £16bn out of £117bn trade deals It's OK, he promised he was going to get it all done by the end of March, and who could possibly fail to take the word of the Disgraced Former Defence Secretary. It is the easiest thing in history. Don't you see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 13, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2019 That one of the deals they've done is with the Faroe Islands never fails to amuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 13, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 5 minutes ago, Chindie said: That one of the deals they've done is with the Faroe Islands never fails to amuse. Yeah, but the Seychelles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 13, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2019 Yeah we're binning off all of our trade deals lads but don't worry, we've got a deal with a place with smaller population than Hereford in the bag! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 13, 2019 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 47 minutes ago, snowychap said: So that's Switzerland sorted whatever happens then, right? Look, I'm speaking for Mr Shandy Drinker of Surrey here, is the supply of Toblerone going to be affected? The important questions need to be asked 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enda Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 19 hours ago, peterms said: The original point was that a benefit of the EU is that you can trace your steak back from Tesco to the originating farm. For all we know Japan might bring in new regulations next year requiring all beef sold in their country be free range, organic, and be certified as having taken 6 hours of cow yoga -- in which case no EU farmer could sell beef to Japan, and tariffs just aren't that relevant in that scenario. So, not quite. Someone asked why Japan would have more bargaining power if the UK wanted low tariffs. My original point was that the EU has different standards to Japan. Not saying good or bad, just different. And with different standards, tariffs aren't the real issue. I accept the horse meat in Tesco thing wasn't the best example. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 48 minutes ago, Enda said: For all we know Japan might bring in new regulations next year requiring all beef sold in their country be free range, organic, and be certified as having taken 6 hours of cow yoga That's pretty much what Japanese Wagyu beef is anyway isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 News just in - 83% of Conservative voters and 84% of Leavers demonstrably are naive simpletons. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 13, 2019 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 13, 2019 Author Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, bickster said: That seems remarkably complicated for the majority of the simpleton MPs. Multiple choice questions - it'll befuddle the poor souls, unused as they are to such troublesome subjects as basic geography, Northern Ireland Politics, doing anything other than what they're told by Sir's or Mrs Sir's whips, telling the truth, acting in the wider interest, seeing beyond the end of their noses and such like. "Is no deal better than a bad deal? - Sir's said both answers. Oh, Lummee, I don't know. Sir is for Remain and for Leave. I think I know what Brexit means...it's Brexit, isn't it? Cheese. Ferries". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 13, 2019 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2019 Quote Officials have admitted they have “run out of time” to find ships to bring extra emergency supplies after a no-deal Brexit, following the Seaborne Freight fiasco. No “large amount of further additional capacity” will be available across the Channel before the end of March, MPs were told – by either sea or rail. Indy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 13, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2019 Quote Ford has said a no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for the firm's manufacturing operations in the UK and that it would do "whatever is necessary" to protect its business. The comments come after a report the carmaker was stepping up preparations to move production out of the UK. Ford declined to comment directly on The Times' report, but said it had long warned against a "hard Brexit". The company is the latest carmaker to warn on the risks of a no-deal Brexit. "Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford's manufacturing operations in the country," the company said in a statement. "We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business." Ford doesn't believe in Britain, has rejected Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain and Agincourt, actually is lying because diesel/China/anything but Brexit, and besides Fords are actually shit and Austin was always better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted February 13, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2019 Brexitiers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 hours ago, bickster said: Look, I'm speaking for Mr Shandy Drinker of Surrey here, is the supply of Toblerone going to be affected? The important questions need to be asked Being an international man of mystery I can get my Toblerone fix via duty free in airports worldwide 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post snowychap Posted February 13, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 hours ago, bickster said: Look, I'm speaking for Mr Shandy Drinker of Surrey here, is the supply of Toblerone going to be affected? The important questions need to be asked If he offers to smuggle one in for you, don't eat it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 8 hours ago, Chindie said: Yeah we're binning off all of our trade deals lads but don't worry, we've got a deal with a place with smaller population than Hereford in the bag! Crucial whale blubber imports secured! At least if the electricity goes off, we'll still be able to see in the dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business move it east where production costs are cheaper but make brexit look like the bad guy? seriously even though the cynic in me does believe that's what big businesses are doing its still our government's fault, not sure if it is brexit in general that's caused it but the uncertainty is almost definitely killing us, its a golden opportunity for anyone who doesn't want to be here to leave under blue skies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 14, 2019 Moderator Share Posted February 14, 2019 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Amsterdam_Neil_D Posted February 14, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted February 14, 2019 14 hours ago, tonyh29 said: Being an international man of mystery I can get my Toblerone fix via duty free in airports worldwide 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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