“And there are side deal in the tariff commitments too?”
“Yes. Some details, then. Here’s Japan’s commitment on tariffs. It’s 1,133 pages! And, for example, there are tariff quotas on beef, some still with an in-quota tariff after 21 years. mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-a…”
“More of your ‘poetry’ in the Canada-Japan deal on vehicle tariffs. Looks like an ‘MFN’ provision, so favourable terms for others in #CPTPP on regulations etc have to be matched between the two, plus something on safeguard tariffs.”
“Now our favourite subject. Rules of origin, to be ‘made in’ a #CPTPP country and qualify for zero/lower duty. The main text has general rules. The 212-page appendix has variations for specific products mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-a…. 3 pages for vehicles mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-a…”
“Some details on temporary entry for services professionals, known as ‘mode 4’. And government procurement commitments, like buying vaccines and nuclear reactors”
“And that, my friend, is what Britain’s negotiation to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (#CPTPP) will involve.”
Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna mRNA vaccinations ongoing. Pfizer supply delayed. Still waiting for approval: AstraZenenca, Janssen-Cilag (J&J). Switzerland has ordered 15.8m doses for 8m people
2/8
By canton: lab-confirmed cases in the past fortnight per 100K population—Picture very similar to last week. Scale for dark blue down from 500 to 430, so slight improvement. Jura, Valais, Nidwalden and Glarus still worst
What’s happened to the UK’s commitments (“schedules”) on goods (tariffs, tariff quotas, farm support) and services in the WTO now that the Brexit transition is over, and the UK no longer applies the EU’s commitments?
1/12
NEW UK DOCUMENT
The UK has circulated a new document outlining the latest situation with the commitments on goods and services, various agreements, applied tariffs and preferences (GSP, UK-EU deal), WTO dispute settlement, trade remedies, laws
The UK is now applying the commitments it proposed in 2018 with amendments in May and Dec 2020 (correcting errors) even though they have not been agreed.
It's January 1, 2021. The transition is over. Britain has left the EU Single Market and customs union.
How many of the EU’s free trade agreements have been “rolled over” into continuity agreements with the UK? How many have not been done?
1/7
Bearing in mind that
(1) some continuity agreements do not replicate the EU’s free trade agreements in full (rules of origin; sectors, regulations, mutual recognition not covered)
(2) trade figures cited are for TOTAL trade, not trade affected by the continuity deals
2/7
DONE DEALS
Number of countries: 60
Number of agreements: 30
Total trade with those countries: £174 billion
Full ratification: 31 countries
Provisional application: 21
Bridging mechanism: 8 countries
3/7
If not follow, then at least be constrained by the higher UK standard under a ratchet as in the EU’s March 2020 “ratchet” draft. Note the text refers to “party”/“parties” so applies to either side.