Britain eyes early free trade pact with Australia after leaving EU

[AussieBob18 2,487]

A free trade agreement with UK will be welcomed by Australia - our economic, social and military ties go back a long way and leaving the EU is something most Australians support.  

[samran 10,069]

19 minutes ago, damascase said:

I can think of several products/commodities that Australia would want to export to the UK under a preferential tariff deal - but what UK products would be interesting for Australia? Keep in mind that products must be originating in the UK, or they won’t even qualify. So incorporating/using materials/component from the EU might mean non-elegibilty.

 

 

A PR win is at the top of the agenda for the Brits. Just to say they have an FTA to vindicate the actions of the past few years.

 

The main thing I suspect the brits want however is access to the Australian labour market. It’s something they’ve talked about often - free movement - and boris banged on about it when he was foreign secretary. With ready access to EU workers drying up, maintaining a flexible work force in the UK will be an issue. 
 

[damascase 1,665]

13 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

A free trade agreement with UK will be welcomed by Australia - our economic, social and military ties go back a long way and leaving the EU is something most Australians support.  

Well, I think it is is quite safe to say that most Australians don’t have a clue about the EU, its role and how it works.....

[Logosone 2,227]

23 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

I suggest you go and look at the figures again..... especially wine!

 

 

Table 2.1:  Key Australian agricultural, fisheries and forest exports to the UK by value - 2015

Commodity	Australian Exports to the UK $m	UK Share of Australian Exports to the EU-28	Australian Exports to the EU-28 $m	UK Share of Australian Exports to the world	Australian Exports to the World $m
Wine	384.4	64 per cent	597.0	18 per cent	2,168.0
Beef and veal	120.5	40 per cent	302.5	1 per cent	9,296.4
Sheepmeat	100.8	72 per cent	140.3	4 per cent	2,525.3
Almonds	16.4	5 per cent	302.0	2 per cent	745.3
Wool a	12.8	4 per cent	303.6	<1 per cent	2,906.5
Plant extract b	11.7	26 per cent	45.8	5 per cent	234.4
Chickpeas	11.6	94 per cent	12.3	1 per cent	1,004.3
Offal c	4.4	79 per cent	5.6	1 per cent	773.3
Apples	2.5	100per cent	2.5	23 per cent	10.7
Other	62.1	5 per cent	1,368.7	<1 per cent	31,075.5
Total	727.2	24 per cent	3,080.3	1 per cent	50,739.7

 

And yet when I wanted to buy a bottle of Penfolds Grange I had to call 8 stores before finding a single bottle.

 

Anyway, Australia for all its wonderful wine, delicious beef, succulent lamb and mining is still a very small country. With a very small population.

 

If you think that a trade agreement with Australia will somehow be a boon to the UK economy you'll be sorely disappointed.

 

The UK's economic malaise is a self-made one, it gave up two thirds of its manufacturing base, it is 80% services. So anyone would struggle to think of UK products they would want to buy, not just Australians.

 

If you add the loss of two thirds of manufacturing to one of the world's worst debt mountains, frankly, the UK can make free trade agreements with the entire world, it won't make a iot of difference. What good is a free trade agreement when you have so little to trade with, when you make almost nothing, but only offer services? And what do you think will happen with the financial centre London once the EU decides no more MIFID2 exemptions, and does not give the UK free access for its service providers?

 

Australia will not save you. Canada will not save you. Botswana will not save you. I am sorry to say the British economy is going downhill no matter what agreements you make. 

[gearbox 405]

17 minutes ago, samran said:

 

A PR win is at the top of the agenda for the Brits. Just to say they have an FTA to vindicate the actions of the past few years.

 

The main thing I suspect the brits want however is access to the Australian labour market. It’s something they’ve talked about often - free movement - and boris banged on about it when he was foreign secretary. With ready access to EU workers drying up, maintaining a flexible work force in the UK will be an issue. 
 

We can send them overpaid baristas, they can send us overpaid divorce lawyers. Win win.

[TheDark 1,210]

The negotiations has to start from somewhere. There is quite a few to be renegotiated and confirmed. 

 

After Brexit: the UK will need to renegotiate at least 759 treaties

FT research reveals that agreements with 168 countries must be redone just for Britain to stand still

https://www.ft.com/content/f1435a8e-372b-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e?segmentid=acee4131-99c2-09d3-a635-873e61754ec6

[Forethat 2,346]

1 hour ago, samran said:

So the grovel tour of Australia begins. All that is missing is a cap in hand.  
 

For any FTA to be worthwhile access for beef and lamb are probably going to be high up the Australian negotiating list. 
 

I bet the Welsh farmers are going to love that. 

How about the Australian farmers?

[melvinmelvin 3,672]

 

As it now appears that No Deal and Australian Deal are synonyms

it should not have to require much effort to land an Australian Deal.

 

guess some would even refer to it as a quickie

 

 

 

[fishtank 2,517]

Ditch your nearest and biggest trading partners.

Now scrambling around for trade deals with anyone.

A great strategy.

[CNXexpat 2,907]

Wow, a trade deal with a 25 million citizen country. I am impressed.

[AussieBob18 2,487]

33 minutes ago, damascase said:

Well, I think it is is quite safe to say that most Australians don’t have a clue about the EU, its role and how it works.....

You would be surprised how much about Brexit and USA is shown in Australia - but not as to the exact workings. But we do know things like - that Frenchmen can fish in UK waters and British fishermen are banned. 

[samran 10,069]

21 minutes ago, gearbox said:

We can send them overpaid baristas, they can send us overpaid divorce lawyers. Win win.

Just as long as Chav’s aren’t allowed in, I’m all good.

[samran 10,069]

20 minutes ago, Forethat said:

How about the Australian farmers?

They are to going to love it. Cost competitive on a global scale, the welsh probably will struggle. 
 

But hey, brave new world right? 

Edited February 6 by samran

[TheDark 1,210]

9 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

You would be surprised how much about Brexit and USA is shown in Australia - but not as to the exact workings. But we do know things like - that Frenchmen can fish in UK waters and British fishermen are banned. 

Be aware of making trade deal with UK as that would mean that UK vessels then can only fish at Australian waters and vice versa. 

[JonnyF 7,492]

So much salt from the perennial losers on every Brexit thread. Mostly from non Brits. Great to read .

 

Also great to see so many deals in the pipeline, exciting times ahead.