British and US economists are set to unveil first draft of an ‘ideal’ post-Brexit free-trade agreement
Experts responsible for drafting the document suggest Britain and the United States should offer free movement for workers, plus the virtual abandonment of tariffs on imports and exports
THERESA May should offer “free movement” to US workers to seal a transatlantic trade deal, a group of experts claim.
Economists from both the US and UK will today unveil their own draft of a Free Trade Agreement between America and Brexit Britain.
Eleven think tanks on both sides of the Atlantic have agreed the draft legal text of an “ideal” agreement.
They have teamed up with Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan who runs the Initiative for Free Trade to publish the draft deal in both countries at the same time.
Their plan is designed to highlight the “political and commercial will of securing a deal between world’s largest and 5th largest economies,” yet aspects of it are likely to be highly controversial.
“The Ideal U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement: A Free Trader’s Perspective” urges both the UK and US to slash tariffs on imports and exports.
And despite immigration concerns being a key driver of the decision to leave the EU, it urges both the UK and US to throw open their borders to anyone with a job offer.
The policy experts say the Government should “permit free movement of British and American workers, conditioned on an offer of employment.”
It also suggests both countries “eliminate tariffs on nearly all goods” and “mutually recognize professional qualifications and licenses.”
Report author Dan Ikenson, director of US think tank the Cato Institute, said “removing all barriers to trade across all sectors of both economies without exception is in their best interests and to provide the blueprint of an agreement that would be the most liberalizing FTA in the world.”
Treasury Minister Liz Truss risks sparking controversy by visiting the Washington offices of the right-wing group later today - where she is expected to face questions over whether she supports the radical plan.
The Department for International Trade have distanced themselves from the draft agreement, saying they had no hand in it.
A spokesman added: “We are currently seeking a wide range of views about four potential free trade agreements, including with the USA, and we encourage all interested organisations and members of the public to make their voices heard through our online consultations.”
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