By Canadian Press

Canada and United Kingdom make stopgap deal to avert tariffs after Brexit

Dec 22, 2020 | 1:25 PM

OTTAWA — Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada and Britain have agreed not to raise tariffs on each other’s goods when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union at the end of the month.

After Brexit, Canada-U.K. trade won’t be covered by the free-trade treaty Canada has with the EU.

The two countries have a deal to keep the current terms going, but Parliament hasn’t passed the legislation needed to implement it.

Without that agreement in force, Britain would automatically impose tariffs on Canadian exports, including maple syrup, lobster, beef and some automotive products. 

Freeland and Trade Minister Mary Ng say in a statement the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding to head off tariffs even with neither the existing European treaty nor the new Canadian-British treaty in effect.

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The federal government says the two countries do $29 billion in trade each year and the U.K. is Canada’s third-biggest export market.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2020.

The Canadian Press