Summary
In discussions between the South African Minister of Trade and UK International Trade Secretary the possibility of building on the existing EPAs in developing future bilateral trade relations with the UK was raised. This is seen by the South African Minister as providing a simple mechanisms for avoiding any unintended adverse fallout from the Brexit process. A key question to be determined is the ‘when and how’ related to the launching of such a re-fitting process.  This would appear to be an important issue for clarification at the forthcoming inaugural meeting of Commonwealth Trade Ministers. Read more “South Africa looking for predictable EPA based trade arrangement to boost trade with UK”

Summary
The scheduled inaugural meeting of Commonwealth Trade Ministers from 9-10 March 2017 would appear to provide an ideal opportunity for a coordinated push by Commonwealth ACP governments for an early and concrete commitment from the UK government to ensuring no disruption of pre-existing access to the UK market, as a result of the UK’s formal departure from the EU. This is particularly important for those Commonwealth ACP countries which have a higher than average dependence on the UK market in their trade with the EU, either overall or at the sector specific level.

Ignoring this opportunity and allowing existing arrangements for ACP access to the UK market to be interrupted, would provide a far from ideal basis for the UK to seek ‘more favourable asymmetric liberalisation on the ACP side’. Read more “Brexit, the Commonwealth and Opportunities for Addressing ACP Countries Trade Concerns”

Summary
Relying on the UK becoming an associated member of existing EPA arrangements would appear unwise, since extended delays in formulating a new post BREXIT UK-EU27 trade framework would make this option very difficult. While a range of options are being advanced for how the interests of developing countries can be accommodated in the BREXIT process, this will require active political engagement by ACP governments with UK opinion leaders and policy makers if arrangements favourable to the interests of ACP countries are to be set in place. Read more “ACP need to stay alert to possible delays in UK-EU trade deal”

Summary

While somewhat contradictory, the UK’s 12 point ‘Plan for Britain’ appears to suggest the UK intends to leave the single market and the EU customs union, so as to be able to pursue its own bilateral trade agreements with faster growing economies outside the EU. Within this approach little consideration is being given to the consequences of UK policy choices for developing countries within the ACP Group and beyond. The UK’s departure approach will make it more difficult for the UK to become an associate signatory to the existing EPA agreements and increases the urgency of ACP governments establishing with the UK authorities a mechanisms to avoid ‘a disruptive cliff edge’ in ACP access to the UK market. It would also appear to increase the urgency of ACP governments establishing dialogues with the UK and EU authorities on how to address the adjustment challenges which will arise from the erosion of the value of ACP preferences as a result of Brexit. Read more “Planned  hard  BREXIT raises stakes for ACP”

Summary

The UK needs to recognise its ‘inherited’ trade obligations to ACP/LDC countries and take regulatory measures to extend unilaterally current market access arrangements from day 1 of BREXIT. This should be seen as ‘transitional’, with the re-fitting of existing EPAs into bilateral trade arrangements taking place once the UK administration is in a position to undertake such an exercise. This agreement should both improve access for ACP countries to the UK market and address preference erosion concerns. Read more “BREXIT and the ACP What Can Be Done?”

Summary

The UK Fresh Produce Consortium and British Retail Consortium have both independently highlighted the importance to UK consumers of ensuring continuity in access to the UK market for third country supplier post-BREXIT.  These UK bodies are potentially value able allies for the ACP in protecting their export interests. Meanwhile countries like Peru are actively seeking new bilateral trade arrangements with the UK. Read more “UK Private Sector Concerned Over Trade Disruption under BREXIT”

Summary:

While the immediate concern is to preserve current ACP preferences, in the longer term serious preference erosion challenges will be faced. Where the UK has no agricultural production interests (e.g. bananas and citrus) there will be little incentive to maintain EU tariffs. However for  five years tariff preferences may remain given the complexity of some trade negotiations. The UK’s future agricultural policy will also affect ACP preferences, notably: whether the UK retains EU CAP-related special agricultural levies. Read more “What Value Future Preferential Access to the UK Market”