British PM arrives in Canada, amid post-Brexit trade fears
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Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May has arrived in Canada, where she’s expected to talk post-Brexit trade with her counterpart Justin Trudeau.
It comes ahead of May’s much-anticipated speech in Florence on Friday, where she will unveil her Brexit vision.
Amid all of this, French wine producers say they are worried about the future. The UK is a big importer, and vineyards want assurances that the cross-channel supply chain will continue to flow.
“We know that there is a distribution network in Britain that exists and functions very, very well – wine sellers, restaurants. All the wholesalers are there, they will continue to function. So that volume is in-tact,” said Louis Moreau, a vineyard owner.
“The large proportion of the distribution in Britain is in what we call ‘large retailers’ – 80 percent. We have had no response from them up until now. What do we do if all this decreases mechanically in 2018 and 2019?”
As the UK explores post-Brexit trading, possible future deals and relationships, the EU is reminding it not to cross the line.
“You are the member of the European Union, you are part of the single market. You are not a member of the EU, you need to negotiate your position in the single market for the future, that’s it for now,” said Elżbieta Bieńkowska, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market.
In Canada, May is expected to kick start a working group – laying the foundations for a possible future deal.