Canadians slap down Trade Secretary Liam Fox for boasting about post-Brexit deal
He wants trade deals with countries across the world to be ready to be signed on the day Britain leaves the EU
NEW Trade Secretary Liam Fox was slapped down by the Canadians today – after boasting of “very fruitful” talks over a post-Brexit deal.
Canada’s International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said the talks last week were “positive” but they were largely about the country’s deal with the EU as a whole.
Canada wants to sign an EU-wide Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017.
But the deal needs to be approved by each EU member states’ individual parliament, as well as both the European Council and European Parliament.
Liam Fox was given the international trade brief by new PM Theresa May last week.
The former Defence Secretary boasted on Sunday that he was “scoping about a dozen free trade deals outside the EU to be ready for when we leave”.
He added: “We’ve already had a number of countries saying: We’d love to do a trade deal with the world’s fifth biggest economy without having to deal with the other 27 members of the EU.”
A No.10 spokeswoman admitted: “The Secretary of State for International trade has had some introductory phone calls.”
Britain cannot legally sign any of its own deals until it quits the EU.
But Mr Fox wants them ready to be signed the day Britain leaves – dubbed “B-Day” in Whitehall.
The Canadians are worried that the planned EU trade deal could be hit by rising protectionism across the bloc.
US Secretary of State John Kerry today said America was committed to concluding its own free trade deal with the EU – after fresh opposition in Germany.
He said it was more important ever for Europe given the Brexit vote.