- Title: UK will seek "frictionless" customs deal - Brexit minister
- Date: 18th January 2017
- Summary: THE GUARDIAN HEADLINE READING (English): "MAY'S BREXIT THREAT TO EUROPE"
- Embargoed: 1st February 2017 10:34
- Keywords: Brexit David Davis European Union deal Theresa May. Britain negotiation
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0045ZLYP1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Britain will seek a customs deal that is as "frictionless" as possible, the country's Brexit minister said on Wednesday (January 18).
Speaking a day after Prime Minister Theresa May set out her priorities for upcoming negotiations on leaving the European Union, Brexit Minister David Davis stressed that it would be in "everybody's interest" to stay on good terms.
"Yesterday the prime minister said with great clarity, extreme clarity that what we're after is a deal which makes the United Kingdom a global trader but has a good new partnership with Europe, which is in Europe's interest as much as ours. That's the point, Europe's point as much as ours, and also a deal which will get the entire British people behind it, because it's in everybody's interest here too," he said. "There are 290 billion (pound) of exports from Europe to us every year, cars, pharmaceuticals, food, you name it. They want to keep that as much as we do."
Davis said the government had received positive responses from Brussels following May's speech on Tuesday (January 17), in which she stressed that Britain would seek the greatest possible access to European markets but aim to establish its own free trade deals with countries beyond Europe, and impose limits on immigration from the continent.
"This will be unique to us, but understand again that there is a huge amount of trade already taking place between us. The Europeans want to maintain that as much as we do, and we will get the most frictionless trade we possibly can, the least inconvenient custom we possibly can," said the Brexit minister. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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