The UK’s decision to exit the European Union (EU) has significant implications for Britain’s trade policy relationship with Africa. While Africa may not be a top priority for the UK trade policy post-Brexit, the strong historical links and today’s meaningful trade relationship between many African nations and the UK suggest that Africa should not be overlooked by the British government. In addition, now is the moment to establish the foundations of a strong and mutually beneficial long-term relationship.
Urgent action is required to provide continuity in the trade relationship between Africa and the UK. An immediate priority is to ensure at a minimum that existing market access is retained for all African countries following Brexit. While maintaining continuity and avoiding uncertainty is crucial, there should be an attempt to replace existing EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with an improved framework that addresses the divisions created by the EPA process and its various limitations. The UK’s new trade policy offers an unprecedented opportunity to introduce a more comprehensive partnership framework that is more effective in supporting Africa’s integration, industrialization and development agendas. There is a real risk of missing this opportunity if urgent action is not taken.
So what type of form would a more comprehensive and progressive Africa-UK partnership agreement take? The objective of this session is to advance understanding of the opportunities and challenges Brexit presents for African countries. In doing so policy options for effectively leveraging Brexit to support the achievement of Africa’s development and trade objectives, at the same time as delivering win-win solutions that can also facilitate the interests of the UK, will be highlighted. The session will consider issues beyond UK market access including reciprocity, rules of origin, standards, and complementary targeted capacity building.
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