Ministers hope to strike a temporary deal with the European Union to retain the key benefits of the customs union for an interim period after Brexit, to avoid cross-border commerce grinding to a halt. The government will say it wants to create “the freest and most frictionless possible trade in goods between the UK and the EU”. The Liberal Democrats’ Brexit spokesman, Tom Brake, said: “The only way to ensure ‘free and frictionless’ trade with the EU is to remain a full member of the customs union and single market. However he called for rapid progress on a wider trade deal, including what tariffs and other barriers would be imposed on exports to the EU. “But to secure frictionless trade, negotiations on regulation, tariff and non-tariff barriers will have to take place.

Source: The Guardian August 14, 2017 22:17 UTC