Britain and Australia agree free trade deal
4:27 am Tuesday, June 15th, 2021
LONDON, England (Reuters) – Britain and Australia announced a free trade deal on Tuesday which London said would eliminate tariffs on all British goods and boost jobs and businesses across the country.
“Today marks a new dawn in the UK’s relationship with Australia, underpinned by our shared history and common values,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.
Britain said it had agreed a cap on tariff-free agricultural imports from Australia for 15 years with the aim of protecting farmers – a hot political issue in Britain ahead of the agreement.
Cars, Scotch whisky and confectionery will be cheaper to sell in Australia because of the agreement, Britain said.
The main elements of the deal were agreed by Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison at a meeting in Downing Street late on Monday, the government said, with a final agreement in principle due in the coming days.
(Reporting by William James and Andy Bruce)
