Government pledges to help improve access to UK markets for world’s poorest countries post-Brexit

The United Kingdom Government announced on the 25 June 2017 that it would use Brexit to cement Britain’s standing in the world and meet its commitments to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by securing their existing duty-free access to UK markets and providing new opportunities to increase trade links.

The commitment meant that around 48 countries across the globe, from Bangladesh to Sierra Leone, Haiti and Ethiopia would continue to benefit from duty-free exports into the UK on all goods other than arms and ammunition, known as ‘everything but arms’.

On leaving the EU, the UK Government would also explore options to expand on relationships with developing countries such as Jamaica, Pakistan and Ghana – all of which currently benefitted from a mixture of reduced or zero tariffs on the goods they exported to the UK and the rest of the EU – as well as maintaining existing trading arrangements and avoiding costly tariffs.

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

European Commission: EU Trade and Development Policy: 10 Ways the EU supports the world’s Least Developed Countries, 2016 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/september/tradoc_154961.pdf

EurActiv, 26.06.17: UK to maintain duty-free access for developing countries after Brexit http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/uk-to-maintain-duty-free-access-for-developing-countries-after-brexit/

BBC News, 25.06.17: Free trade deals for 'poorest countries' to be maintained post-Brexit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40395742

Tradecraft Exchange: Tag: Brexit https://www.traidcraft.org.uk/policy-resources?tag=Brexit

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