Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti and Sierra Leone are among 48 countries that will continue to benefit from duty-free exports into the UK after Brexit.
The Government has confirmed its intention to maintain the EU’s “Everything But Arms” initiative, which helps selected countries trade all goods other than arms and ammunition.
Not only will the countries currently benefiting from duty-free exports into the UK continue to do so, but a post-Brexit Government will also explore options for expanding relationships with additional developing countries, such as Ghana, Jamaica and Pakistan.
In a joint announcement, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Priti Patel highlighted the role that trade can play in combating poverty.
Free and fair trade has been the greatest liberator of the world’s poor, Dr Fox suggested, adding that the Government’s announcement shows its commitment to helping developing countries expand their economies and reduce poverty through trade.
By helping these countries to harness the formidable power of trade, not only is the UK creating trading partners of the future for its businesses, but it is supporting jobs at home, Ms Patel argued.
Building a more prosperous world and supporting our own long-term economic security is firmly in everyone’s interest, she added.
The UK currently imports some £20 billion of goods per year from the developing countries concerned. That equates to about half of clothing and a quarter of coffee and other everyday goods such as cocoa, bananas and roses.
In the Government’s view, without sustained economic growth and the jobs associated with it, a whole generation in the poorest countries of the world could be consigned to a future where opportunities are out of reach.
That could, it argues, potentially fuel instability and mass migration – which could have consequences for the UK.
