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There has been a flurry of activity behind the scenes. Philip Hammond was recently in China [1] and discussed the possibility of trade agreements with them and

There has been a flurry of activity behind the scenes. Philip Hammond was recently in China [1] and discussed the possibility of trade agreements with them and other representatives of other countries who were also there. Australia has already mentioned opening up trade agreements [2] with the UK as well. There is even talk of trading with the common-wealth [3]. The point is this, things are moving forward. Just because it's not in the news. Which the majority it won't be until it's ready to be announced. Doesn't mean that nothing is happening. Also I don't know how old you are. But before the UK entered the EC which it was known back then. The UK was trading with the entire world. Now, it has the possibility of accessing the EU market AND trading with the world. Which I think is a great prospect for the UK. Edit: To address the downvotes. When the UK was trading within the EU. These trading agreements were done by the EU for all the member-states. They were negotiating as one trading block. Now that the UK is out of the EU. She can trade speaking for herself, not having veto's by France or another country. Go look it up. Also [4]: EU-US trade agreement fails. Now the UK is free to open up trade talks with the US. [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36877573 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36877573 [2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/03/g20-theresa-may-in-talks-over-a-free-trade-deal-with-australia-a/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/03/g20-theresa-may-i... [3] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/a-bright-future-awaits-britain-post-brexit-in-the-commonwealth-m/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/a-bright-future-a... [4] http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/704752/EU-USA-trade-deal-talks-stalled-Germany-vice-chancellor-says-TTIP-failed http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/704752/EU-USA-trade-deal...

madeofpalk 10y ago
Was the UK not trading with the entire world when it was in the EU?
- tim333 10y ago
  It's still in the EU and still trading with everyone. The kind of things we could change by leaving would be to say drop tariffs and subsidies on agriculture which would make food cheaper but put a lot of UK farmers out of business and so not be politically popular.
lispm 10y ago
> Now, it has the possibility of accessing the EU market AND trading with the world. Wonderful. Something which clearly is not possible while in the EU. I never understood why the EU did not allow that. The UK never had a chance to successfully trade within the EU and trade with other countries was strictly forbidden. Brexit will change all that. Congratulations!
- mpweiher 10y ago
  >trade with other countries was strictly forbidden. Huh? All EU countries trade with countries outside the EU all the time.
  - franciscop 10y ago
    I think it was sarcasm ;)
  - gpderetta 10y ago
    Sarcasm, obviously.
    - mpweiher 10y ago
      Now that you mention it. Alas, with the level of discourse on this topic it's sometimes hard to tell :-)
flexie 10y ago
Ah, but if you are old enough, you might remember that long before 1973 the UK spanned the world: India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada. You even had 13 colonies south of Canada. And if you are that old, you might remember that they didn't like the UK way of trading. I hope the UK will never get back that glory. The EU never prevented UK from trading with the rest of the world. If anything, it enabled the UK to keep some commerce that would otherwise have bypassed the UK for France or Germany, as the Japanese memo also suggests.
- timthorn 10y ago
  > The EU never prevented UK from trading with the rest of the world Upon joining the EU, the free trade arrangements that the UK had with Commonwealth countries were dissolved.
  - lispm 10y ago
    Well, the EU either has or is negotiating trade deals with 30+ Commonwealth countries... http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.de/2015/11/the-eu-or-commonwealth-dilemma-for-uk.html http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.de/2015/11/the-eu-or-commonwea...
  - rbanffy 10y ago
    It's very unlikely those treaties would be readily restored now. Two relevant things changed: the partners have made new treaties with other countries and now the UK needs the treaties more than their prospectie partners.
  - flexie 10y ago
    And new trade deals were entered into with many of those with the EU as a party. Now they are EU trading partners, interested in remaining such, and to the extent UK agreements would collide with their EU agreements they are not prone to giving up any advantages they might have for the sake of dealing with their old oppressors.
- mattmanser 10y ago
  So, we shouldn't leave the EU, but super-states are bad... Great reasoning.
Scarblac 10y ago
Given that the UK is smaller than the EU as a whole, they have less negotiating power. The deals will necessarily be worse than what the EU can negotiate.

madeofpalk 10y ago

Was the UK not trading with the entire world when it was in the EU?

tim333 10y ago
It's still in the EU and still trading with everyone. The kind of things we could change by leaving would be to say drop tariffs and subsidies on agriculture which would make food cheaper but put a lot of UK farmers out of business and so not be politically popular.

lispm 10y ago

> Now, it has the possibility of accessing the EU market AND trading with the world. Wonderful. Something which clearly is not possible while in the EU. I never understood why the EU did not allow that. The UK never had a chance to successfully trade within the EU and trade with other countries was strictly forbidden. Brexit will change all that. Congratulations!

mpweiher 10y ago
>trade with other countries was strictly forbidden. Huh? All EU countries trade with countries outside the EU all the time.
- franciscop 10y ago
  I think it was sarcasm ;)
- gpderetta 10y ago
  Sarcasm, obviously.
  - mpweiher 10y ago
    Now that you mention it. Alas, with the level of discourse on this topic it's sometimes hard to tell :-)

flexie 10y ago

Ah, but if you are old enough, you might remember that long before 1973 the UK spanned the world: India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada. You even had 13 colonies south of Canada. And if you are that old, you might remember that they didn't like the UK way of trading. I hope the UK will never get back that glory. The EU never prevented UK from trading with the rest of the world. If anything, it enabled the UK to keep some commerce that would otherwise have bypassed the UK for France or Germany, as the Japanese memo also suggests.

timthorn 10y ago
> The EU never prevented UK from trading with the rest of the world Upon joining the EU, the free trade arrangements that the UK had with Commonwealth countries were dissolved.
- lispm 10y ago
  Well, the EU either has or is negotiating trade deals with 30+ Commonwealth countries... http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.de/2015/11/the-eu-or-commonwealth-dilemma-for-uk.html http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.de/2015/11/the-eu-or-commonwea...
- rbanffy 10y ago
  It's very unlikely those treaties would be readily restored now. Two relevant things changed: the partners have made new treaties with other countries and now the UK needs the treaties more than their prospectie partners.
- flexie 10y ago
  And new trade deals were entered into with many of those with the EU as a party. Now they are EU trading partners, interested in remaining such, and to the extent UK agreements would collide with their EU agreements they are not prone to giving up any advantages they might have for the sake of dealing with their old oppressors.
mattmanser 10y ago
So, we shouldn't leave the EU, but super-states are bad... Great reasoning.

Scarblac 10y ago

Given that the UK is smaller than the EU as a whole, they have less negotiating power. The deals will necessarily be worse than what the EU can negotiate.