Canada Prepares For “Seamless” Trade Transition In Event Of No-Deal Brexit
11 December 2018, 14:58 | Updated: 11 December 2018, 15:03
The trade transition between Canada and the UK will be “seamless” even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal in March 2019, the country's High Comissioner said.
Janice Charette said both parties had been in talks over the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.
She explained the importance of maintaining trade relations whatever the Brexit outcome, telling Shelagh Fogarty: “The UK is our largest trading partner in Europe”.
Ms Charette was speaking as Theresa May headed back to Europe in a last-ditch attempt to win concessions from EU leaders.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister deferred a big Brexit vote on her withdrawal agreement after admitting she did not have enough support from MPs to get it through.
Neither Downing Street nor the Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom would say when the delayed vote would now take place, but it will almost certainly be in January now.
With Britain due to leave the EU on March 29th 2019, there’s speculation about what happens if Mrs May fails to win over the Commons.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Canadian High Commissioner to the UK said they would be prepared.
“We are involved in discussions with the UK government,” she said.
“So that if the UK was to leave the EU without a future arrangement that we will have a bilateral agreement ready to go in a kind of seamless transition is the language that our Prime Minister has used - that will maintain the terms of the CETA agreement in a bilateral Canada-UK agreement after March 2019.”
