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”