Gordon Campbell says Brexit makes Canada-EU trade deal a priority

Canada's outgoing high commissioner to the United Kingdom says last month's Brexit vote was a shot in the arm for the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), despite unease in some circles about the state of the world economy.

"[International Trade Minister Chrystia]Freeland has been very much engaged with the European Commissionand the European Union with regard to moving forward on CETA. They have, in fact, pushed that forwardthat's a good thing coming out of the vote,"Gordon Campbell said in aninterview with Rosemary Barton onCBC News Network'sPower & Politics.

Campbell said the impending Brexit negotiationshaveinspiredthe U.K. to turn its attention with zeal to bolstering trade relationships with non-EU partners, including Canada.

"They have been more positive than I had hoped before the vote," he said.

Gordon Campbell says EU more interested in CETA after Brexit vote

8 years ago

Duration 8:19

Canada's outgoing high commissioner in the U.K. says there is a silver lining to the Brexit vote.

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Canada's trade deal with the European Union, negotiated by the former Harper governmentand backed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is slowlyprogressing through the bureaucracy in Brussels.

The EuropeanCouncil may sign on to the deal this fall.It then proceeds to the European Parliament for a ratification vote.

If passed, Freeland believes90 to 95 per cent of the deal couldtake effect provisionally. Member states will vote on some matters of shared jurisdiction before the complete deal comes into effect.

U.K. looks to free trade deal with Canada

The British have also floated negotiatinga Canada-U.K.trade deal after exitingthe European Union.

"We'll be looking to make trade deals with other countries around the world, including Canada. Other countries that are currently outside the EU do have very good trading relationships and trade agreements with other countries, so we can be the same. We have a lot to bring to the party," Howard Drake, the UK's high commissioner to Canada, recently told CBC News.

So far, Canada hassaid it is focused onratifyingCETA, a deal thatwould likely take effect in Britain before itsdeparture from the EU.

Moreover,Britain remains a part of the European Union and has no legal authorityto finalize trade agreements until it completes its departure,a process that will take several years.

Britain isturning to Canada for trade expertise as it looks to strengthen itsnewly-establishedinternational trade ministry, something that was largely non-existent before Brexit as trade deals werenegotiated at the EU level.Canada has about 300 trade negotiators working for the federal government while Britain effectively has none.

Indeed, Britain's Department of International Trade is only three weeks old,created after British Prime Minister Theresa May assumed control of 10 Downing Street.

The department will bringtogether bureaucrats from existingdepartments, namely UK Trade & Investment, which was largely focused on helping international businesses set-up shop in the U.K.

"I think it's going to be in Canada's interest, and the United Kingdom's interest, to look at how they can build a more positive trading partnership as we come out of the ratification of CETA," Campbell said."We should recognize they're our allies, they're our friends, they're people we want to have a long-term relationship with."

Campbell will step down from his U.K. posting soon, after the government announced a major diplomatic shake-up and the appointment of former top bureaucrat Janice Charette to London.

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