Great Britain and Canada sign a trade agreement

Great Britain has signed a treaty with Canada on future trade relations after the end of the Brexit transition period. “This is a great deal for global Britain, securing £20 billion worth of trade with a friend and partner who shares our clear commitment to free trade,” Business Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two countries had already agreed on the terms of their joint agreement in November. At the beginning of the year, the transitional phase of Britain's exit from the European Union ends, in which European Union rules are still largely applied, for the British. According to the British government, the volume of trade between Canada and the United Kingdom amounted to about 20 billion pounds last year (about 23.51 billion euros at the end of 2019). Cars, beef, salmon and maple syrup, among other things, can now be traded duty-free, the statement said.

However, Great Britain has not yet been able to agree on a trade agreement with the European Union. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Brussels on Wednesday evening to discuss points that have been controversial for months with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and seek an agreement. (dpa)

Photograph: Kwa Chee Siong/Singapore Press Holdings via AFP