Who would you want the UK to sign trade deals with after Brexit

[BritBrit]

So if we leave the EU we finally get the right to sign our own trade deals with other countries so which countries would you like the UK to pursue a trade deal with?

Africa is interesting, especially with regard to China.

Something akin to economic imperialism has taken hold with much of the third world where China has hoovered up resources on deeply unpleasant terms.

Much of our out of season fruit and veg came from southern Africa before the EU put barriers in place. The EU didn't want the competition and it caused severe problems in that part of the world.

Trade is the best way to alleviate poverty.

BritBrit, but you never answered my question at all. Which countries etc?

Which countries. What products? How are we currently affected by tariffs and how will this change after Brexit?

Glamourgates

In my younger years, I used to work in custom clearance. Paperwork and tariffs and vat and duty payments were my livelihood. Come 1992 some bastards passed some legislation that meant it was not necessary anymore. I lost my job. However, I moved on from this and every other bugger benefited from free movement of goods. And it's been super ever since til some deluded people decided that our govt's inability to ensure a working wage, control access to benefits, and austerity politics is the fault of immigrants when it is truly the fault of the shore of shite in charge.

I think BritBrit did answer your question. The EU doesn't ban member states from trading with outer countries, but it does ban bilateral trade deals. This means we can't do a deal to reduce trade tariffs south non-EU countries of our own volition. It also prevents non-EU countries from approaching us directly about trade deals - they have to go through the European Union. Getting 28 countries to agree is clearly much less efficient, because they all have their own vested interests. Examples of such groups might include French wine producers.

When the UK joined the EEC we got a special exception for New Zealand butter, because we had traditionally imported most of our butter from there. We did not, however, get a special exception for New Zealand lamb, South African apples or many other products that we had traditionally imported from Commonwealth countries without imposing tariffs. That did a lot of damage to their economies and to our relationship with them.

EU Tariffs continue to do damage. In particular, they prevent developing countries from developing their economies. For example, the import tariff on processed cocoa is 60%! This means that African countries that grow cocoa beans are prevented from entering the very lucrative chocolate industry. There is a similarly punitive, though lower tariff for processed coffee, such that Germany makes more profit exporting processed coffee than the whole of Africa makes from exporting raw coffee beans. Africa is stuck selling raw materials. Outside the EU we would be able to make a huge difference to their economies by offering better trading opportunities and we ourselves would benefit from cheaper produce. I think this is really exciting. It really will transport the lives of people across the continent if there are more decent job opportunities at home.

A few typos - apologies.

'outer' should read other
'south' should read with.

There may be others. I should have proof read.

is doing the rounds, from a UK academic who has made a career out of understanding EU trade deals & EU constitutional law.