Theresa May flies to Canada eyeing post-Brexit trade deal
Prime Minister Theresa May has flown to Canada to discuss a post-Brexit trade deal with counterpart Justin Trudeau.
Coming just days before the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta), an agreement between the EU and Canada that took seven years to negotiate, is enacted on 21 September, the PM was hoping to use her trip to discuss the potential of Downing Street using Ceta as a model for a bilateral trade deal with Canada after Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.
May and Trudeau were expected to establish a new joint committee aimed at laying the groundwork for a separate deal between the two.
Under EU laws, the UK was prohibited from sealing a foreign trade agreement until such a time as it finalises its exit from the bloc, so instead has set up 'working groups' overseas in nations such as Japan and the US, as well as one with yet another Commonwealth partner in Australia.
The bilateral trade relationship is currently worth £15.2bn annually to both economies, with £1.75bn of Canadian money having been invested in the UK since March 2017 and more than 10,000 UK companies exporting goods to Canada, the government said.
Ahead of the visit, May said, "When we come together and work as one to protect our shared values on the world stage, we form a powerful union."
"My visit to Canada today is not only about recognising our past but also looking ahead to our bright future."
She highlighted a "long shared history" between the two nations, before adding, "We celebrate together our shared monarchy and close ties of family and friendship."
May's trip is expected to include the agreeing of several deal, including the expansion of Tesco’s product range to 100 supermarkets in Canada's West Coast by the end of this year, the £34m contract won by Leeds-based Turner and Townsend to oversee refurbishment of part of the Canadian Parliament, and the expansion of Vancouver-based social media company Hootsuite in London.