25 January 2019

The Independent: No-deal Brexit would ruin UK's chances of getting any free trade deals, Irish PM Varadkar warns

Speaking in Davos Leo Varadkar suggested the unresolved Irish border question would make it “very difficult” for Theresa May’s vision of a global Britain trading with the world outside the EU to be realised.

He said the combination of World Trade Organisation rules and the Good Friday Agreement meant the country would likely have to adopt full alignment with the EU rules and single market anyway to meet its commitments.

“The United Kingdom in a no-deal scenario will face enormous difficulties,” he told an audienc at the World Economic Forum.

“In a no-deal scenario Ireland will still be in the single market, and will still be part of all those trade deals which come with being part of Europe, the trade deal with Japan, the trade deal with Canada, the trade deal with Korea, the trade deal with Singapore.

“In a no-deal scenario, the UK won't have any trade deals with anyone, and I think it will be very difficult for them to conclude any trade deals with the question of the Irish border unresolved.  Given we have a solution on the table already, let's ratify that.”

Under the Good Friday Agreement and political commitments made by Theresa May during Brexit talks, the UK is committed to preventing a hard border from appearing in Northern Ireland.

However under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules the UK is bound not to cut special favours for other countries unless they are part of a recognise free trade agreement – under the so-called “most favoured nation” regulation. [...]

Full article on The Independent

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