Canada and the United Kingdom begin negotiations for a free trade agreement

Canada and the United Kingdom announced on Thursday that they would begin negotiations on a post – Brexit free trade agreement from January 1, 2021.

“I am pleased to announce that Canada and the United Kingdom have officially begun negotiations for a new free trade agreement,” said Mary NG, Minister of Commerce of Canada, in the presence of her British Representative, Anne-Marie Travelian.

The Canadian minister said the talks could last for two years.

“By 2021, the UK will be Canada’s third largest trading partner in goods and services, with billions of dollars flowing between our two countries,” he said.

For her part, Ann-Marie Travelyan said she “wants to go faster than ever to stimulate business in areas such as digital, financial and legal services and research and development.”

Since the UK’s exit from the European Union, London has sought to increase its international trade, but still has to wait for a free trade agreement with Washington.

On Tuesday, the two countries settled their dispute over steel and aluminum, but the Biden administration was in no hurry to resume talks on a free trade agreement.

London has so far signed agreements with non-EU European countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), but also with distant countries such as Japan, Israel and more recently Australia and New Zealand.