The entire British business sector, including agriculture, horticulture, livestock farming, and the food industry, wants a trade deal with the European Union no matter what.
More than seventy industries, such as the automotive and metal industries, together employing over seven million people, believe that Prime Minister Boris Johnson should continue post-Brexit negotiations with the EU. The British business community wants to prevent the United Kingdom from leaving the European Union without a trade agreement, writes The Financial Times.
On Friday, Prime Minister Johnson informed the EU that EU diplomat Michel Barnier does not need to take the Eurostar train to London on Monday, and that the planned eighth round of negotiations will not proceed. Barnier may now call his British counterpart to discuss how to move forward.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Friday that his country is preparing to leave the EU without a trade agreement. In that case, from January 1, standard WTO tariffs will apply to trade between Great Britain and the European mainland.
In such a scenario, the British economy threatens to suffer significant market losses. Some EU industries will also be affected by new customs tariffs.
Barnier held a phone consultation on Friday with his British counterpart David Frost. They agreed to speak again Monday afternoon “to discuss the structure of the negotiations,” according to Barnier’s spokesperson. That phrasing indicates that the EU still believes in dialogue and in a final agreement.
London only wants to continue talks if the EU adopts “a fundamentally different approach,” said Johnson. At their European summit, the 27 EU leaders explicitly demanded on Thursday that the British must make moves to enable an agreement.