Because before the EU can sign off on a trade agreement, it needs to be unanimously accepted by every member state, which takes an absolute ton of time. The CET

Because before the EU can sign off on a trade agreement, it needs to be unanimously accepted by every member state, which takes an absolute ton of time. The CETA deal with Canada was held up solely by a region of Belgium at one point. It's a lot easier to get a trade deal with the UK, where you're only dealing with one government with a much more specific set of interests. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37749236 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37749236