Brexit: Raab in Australia at begin of commerce mission

Dominic Raab has stated the UK shall be a “drive for good on this planet” as he arrived in Australia on the primary leg of a tour to advertise free commerce offers.

Talking forward of a gathering together with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne, the international secretary stated Australia was “a pure accomplice” for the UK.

The UK is hoping for early commerce offers with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the US after its departure from the EU.

Mr Raab will go to Japan, Singapore and Malaysia over the following few days.

The journey comes after commerce minister Liz Truss stated the UK was searching for broad reductions in tariffs in a post-Brexit commerce cope with america.

“We’ll drive a tough cut price and, as with all negotiations, we shall be ready to stroll away if that’s within the nationwide curiosity,” she stated in a press release to Parliament.

She claimed any deal would “enhance entry to the US marketplace for UK companies, and decrease costs and enhance alternative for UK shoppers”.

However Ms Truss stated the UK wouldn’t compromise on its excessive animal welfare and meals requirements and the worth the NHS pays for medicine, which she stated wouldn’t be on the desk in commerce talks.

Talking forward of his go to to Australia, Mr Raab stated the UK had “a multi-billion-pound commerce relationship with funding in each instructions, supporting jobs and progress in each economies”.

Commerce between the UK and Australia was price £18.3bn in 2019.

Talking on the BBC’s Politics Live programme in October, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated: “I do fear that individuals are beginning to think about {that a} commerce cope with Australia is someway an alternative to being on the doorstep of a market with 500 million folks. It is not.”

Mr Raab’s go to comes after he stated the UK would not be aligning with EU rules, arguing that sticking to those would “defeat the purpose of Brexit”.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stated the UK must decide to a “degree enjoying area” to get a free commerce cope with the EU.

However UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stated he’ll settle for no alignment and no jurisdiction of the European courts when talks with the EU begin in March.

The UK introduced plans earlier on Thursday to develop a brand new tariff schedule which is able to enter into drive firstly of 2021 and can apply to items from international locations around the globe the place no different commerce preparations are in place.

The federal government has launched a four-week session to assist form its new Most Favoured Nation tariff regime.

This shall be often known as the UK International Tariff and can exchange the EU’s Frequent Exterior Tariff, which is at present utilized to imports into the UK.

It may embrace simplifying tariffs and eradicating tariffs utterly on items the place Britain has no or restricted home manufacturing.