The UK's trading reputation is unscathed

The Director of Get Britain Out, Jayne Adye, insists the statements made by European Union Leaders and EU bureaucrats that the United Kingdom cannot be trusted is totally unfounded. The UK will be a beacon for free trade in the future. Already many countries around the world are looking forward to signing trade deals with us when we fully escape from the shackles of the EU at the end of this year.

Several European Union Member States – and even MPs in our own country – have claimed the United Kingdom's reputation on the international stage has been tarnished as a direct result of the Brexit negotiations. They have warned us Governments around the world will be cautious and reluctant to enter into trade negotiations with us. This claim is totally unfounded and actually – as with pretty much all of the claims made by 'Project Fear' over the last 4 years or more – the complete opposite is true.

The truth is, the UK has been making huge strides in trade negotiations around the world. Although not yet fully free from the EU's clutches and still remaining in the Transition Period for less than 3 more months, the Department for International Trade has been working non-stop to commence and conclude trade negotiations at a rapid pace.

We have already seen negotiations commence with the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Last week's good news was of a Free Trade Agreement and Strategic Partnership with Ukraine being signed, which goes further than the trade deal Ukraine currently has with the EU. This means businesses, especially in the medicinal and pharmaceutical industries which currently trade a lot with Ukraine will enjoy fewer tariffs and fewer regulatory barriers.

This week, round 2 of the Australian trade negotiations concluded with very good feedback. The talks are accelerating swiftly and the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, has stated she expects a comprehensive agreement to be in place before the end of the year. This Free Trade Agreement will benefit the car and the alcohol industries – two of the largest export goods we sell to Australia.

The UK is also taking the steps to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – Japan's new Prime Minister has welcomed the UK with open arms to the 3rd largest free trade area in the world. Meanwhile, we have already concluded a Free Trade Agreement with Japan, which again is much improved on the one they have in place with the EU.

The good news doesn't stop there.

Just last week, the United States and the United Kingdom exchanged tariffs offers – which indicates a deal is closer than is perhaps reported in the main stream media! The two sides are now negotiating the forensic details, such as 'Rules of Origin' and 'Regulatory Practice'. Although a full agreement won't be ready before the Presidential Election next month, a deal should be in good shape to be completed early next year. This will be another boost to pharmaceutical companies, as the US is their single biggest export destination.

The UK has now signed 50 trade agreements since Leaving the EU on January 31st this year! Get Britain Out's full list of trade deals can be viewed at the bottom of this article.

Our farmers are now exporting their goods all over the world. British beef is now being sold in the United States for the first time in 20 years and our cheesemakers are selling their world-famous cheeses in East Asia for the first time ever. We are well and truly on Brexit-Britain's global path to prosperity.

Another huge success story is with India. The negotiations have been kept under wraps so far, but the talks have been taking the right steps to land an agreement in good time. The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri I Kumar, recently stated: "Both countries are now involved in enhanced engagement mode". This Free Trade Agreement with India will be hugely significant.

Not only will it be iconic for the re-ignition of the Commonwealth, it will open up a regional barrier and offer a strategic geopolitical position in the world, with the added benefit of ending our reliance on China for certain goods. The value of both a United States and an Indian Free Trade Agreement would be monumental for the United Kingdom, with both being larger markets than those from the majority of countries within the EU – and India's economy consistently growing apace – unlike any in the EU.

According to the latest trade statistics which were updated and released last week, our value of trade with the EU is still decreasing. During the last 12 months it has actually decreased by 1.9 per cent. Our value of trade with the rest of the world is still growing – up 3.3 per cent in the last 12 months. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, our trade is still performing well because of our international (non-EU) trade.

It just goes to show, our reliance on the EU is dwindling and a trade agreement with the EU must not come at any cost. In fact, around only 6 per cent of businesses in the UK now actually export to the EU.

We must Get Britain Out of the Transition Period with either a Good Trade Deal – one which doesn't compromise our sovereignty in any way – or Leave without a Deal and guarantee we put Brexit to bed and press on with more trade deals around the world. Leaving without a Deal should make the EU come to their senses. Perhaps then we could restart negotiations on fresh terms, without being blackmailed as at the moment and arrange a Fair Free Trade Agreement. If not, we are better off trading on World Trade Organisation terms, as we do with countries around the globe already, and setting up individual Free Trade Agreements where it is good for both interested parties.

Any claims the UK will no longer be trusted on the world stage are clearly unfounded, and are only suggested by the old guard of 'Remainers' who still want to tie us to the shackles of the ever-more failing EU. Governments around the world clearly understand our refusal to accept EU control and would only act the same if they were in a similar position. We are simply exercising our sovereign rights as an independent nation.

The future of the world is outside the European Union – and we must put ourselves in the optimum position to take advantage of this.