Brexit BREAKTHROUGH: Liam Fox reveals 40 non-EU countries will make trade transition EASY

The International Trade Secretary claimed that the 40 countries who currently have trade deals with the EU are keen to secure ties with Britain after Brexit. 

Dr Liam Fox said that all of the 40 non-EU countries had not objected to the UK taking the process forward with the “current basis” of trade terms. 

Mr Fox added that this would allow the UK and the partnering country to “create a more bespoke” arrangement over time after the agreement is secured. 

Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Fox said: “These are not new free trade agreements, these are continuity of the 40 agreements that the EU currently has, that is what the legislation allows us to do.

“Yesterday the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) asked us for greater certainty for the future. 

“What we intend to do is a process which is technically called ‘transitional adoption’. In other words, for countries like South Korea we will want to get continuity of that agreement that they have with the EU, but on the basis that over time we will create a more bespoke arrangement. 

“What that will do is guarantee stability… First of all, for our trading partners, they will continue to get access to the UK and we will continue to trade with them on the current basis.”

John Humphreys stepped in asking if the agreements with countries outside the European Union would be made on the “current basis” with the same “tariff arrangements and so on”.

Mr Fox ensured that none of the 40 countries had said they want to change the terms the UK currently has with them through the deal completed by the European Union. 

He said: “Well we are discussing with them, there is not a single one of those countries that have said that they did not want us to take that process forward.

“Of course there are elements that may not be included in some of these agreements on things like digital trade or E-commerce, for example, that we may want to add and update once we have got the basic agreement in place. 

“But business have said to us ‘we want as much certainty as possible’ and this legislation is designed to provide them with that.” 

The Trade Bill Bill, which was presented by Mr Fox, will allow Britain to transport the 40 trade agreements with the EU over to the UK, including the one recently completed with Canada.

It will also allow for later legislation and for the UK to make its own free trade negotiations.

The Customs Bill, which was also introduced by the International Trade Secretary will allow Britain to charge tariffs on imports which has been overseen by the EU.

Speaking on Monday, the CBI said that the EU must “see things that same way” as the UK to stop businesses triggering contingency plans.

Director-General of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn told the Today programme: “The Florence speech the Prime Minister made was the right vision. It had transition. It had a sense of collaboration with Europe. But we now need unity behind it. 

“And we need the European Union to see things in the same way. And we are doing a lot on that front and then I think it can be done.” 

The CBI found that 60% of businesses will have started preparations for a contingency plan to be in effect by the end of March next year.