Thread by @faisalislam

Long READ -Trade.

Featuring 6th formers practicing being UK Negotiators, Liam Fox’s cupboard of trade memorabilia, missing rollover jackpot, the Grand Old Duke of York, Irish Congressional caucus, peach juice from Fukushima...and a £500 block of cheddar

bbc.co.uk/news/business-…

Here is £500 block of cheddar destined for Canada from the Wiltshire warehouse of Coombe Castle. At moment 0% tariff under UK’s participation in EU-Canada trade deal.

After No Deal will be hit with a *£1200* tariff, after Canada chose not to roll over UK deal.. 245% tariff 🧀 /1

NEW: Trade Secretary Liam Fox tells BBC that new PM and Cabinet “may take a different view” on the No Deal tariff schedule published in March and that “they can be changed” as a warning to Canada that “the worst happens and we introduce trade frictions”. More on #bbcnewsten /2

Fox says that Canadians acted “not unreasonably” in refusing to rollover the CETA deal, immediately after the publication of the No Deal tariffs... as they said “we can get access to your markets for nothing”. /3

Also told me that trade partners were frustrated with the UK Government having to play “Grand Old Duke of York once again” on Brexit and being marched up the hill “it frustrates them and it frustrates us” /4

Back to Wilts cheese exporters: No Deal Brexit & Canada refusing rollover is “unmitigated disaster” for dairy exporter that exports just under third of sales to Canada. Asked if ministers helping, Peter Mitchell told me “To be honest with you I don’t think they understand it”. /5

NEW 2:
Several Democrat Congressman on influential Ways and Means Committee with oversight on trade deals raised at a meeting this month in DC directly with Trade Secretary Fox blocking a US-UK trade deal if Brexit saw a hardening of Irish border/ impact on Good Friday Agreement

Fox confirmed to me that the issue was raised: “We need to be aware of it - I spoke to a number of Democrat members of Ways and Means [a key Congressional committee with oversight on trade deals] when I was in Washington two weeks ago and they did raise those issues with me”.. /7

Fox says he was able to reassure the Congressmen “I was able to reassure them that both the UK Govt and Irish Governments do not want any hard border infrastructure at all to be in place so I think they will wait and see...” /8

I was given this list of Democratic Congressman at the “cordial” meeting with Fox where Irish Border changes were repeatedly raised as a block in relation to any US - UK trade deal
Higgins/Horsford/ Sanchez/ Kildee/ Kind/ Boyle/ Pascrell/ Larson/Delbene/ Evans/ Chu/ Panetta
/9

See here re Congress/ Ireland:

https://twitter.com/allierenison/status/1153432676516474883?s=21

exceedingly interesting CBC re actual detail - not rhetoric about optimism etc - of trade discussions that have actually happened eg re this 245% tariff on dairy export to Canada - we asked for 2000t quota, Canada said No after No Deal tariffs published: cbc.ca/news/politics/…

good tangible measure of whether PM Johnson negotiation approach working - can he persuade Canada to continue to apply the EU-Canada terms to UK businesses after No Deal Brexit? They refused after clocking they could get mostly tariff free access to their exports via No Deal list