By Canadian Press

British minister hopes for free trade deal with Canada within a year

Mar 23, 2022 | 2:50 PM

OTTAWA — Britain’s trade minister says she hopes her country can finalize a formal free trade agreement with Canada within a year now that negotiations are set to start in earnest.

U.K. Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan offered that timeline in an interview with The Canadian Press after her arrival in Ottawa.

Trevelyan is set to announce the formal start of the talks with Canada on Thursday with Canadian counterpart Mary Ng.

Britain and Canada have already negotiated an interim trade agreement to replace the broader Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, that Canada negotiated with the European Union.

Britain’s decision to leave the EU after its Brexit referendum meant that it was forced out of CETA at the end of 2020.

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Trevelyan says it is critical for Britain to strike deals with Canada as well as gain entry to the 11-country Pacific Rim trade pact known as the CPTPP.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published  March 23, 2022.

The Canadian Press