UK‐US Trade Relations and 'Global Britain'. Issue 4 (6th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Heron, Tony; Siles‐Brügge, Gabriel
• Is Part Of: Political quarterly. Volume 92:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 732
• Page End: 736
• Publication Date: 2021-11-06
• Subjects: Brexit -- 'Global Britain' -- trade policy -- United States -- USMCA; Political science -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1910-1936 -- Periodicals; 320.05
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-923X.13075
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-3179

Abstract

Abstract: A UK‐US free trade agreement has consistently been presented as the main prize from the UK's much touted post‐Brexit trade policy independence. The UK Prime Minister's admission that this was not going to be realised any time soon may have surprised media pundits, but it merely confirmed what had become increasingly apparent since the referendum: that a free trade agreement with the US was a long shot. Taken together with the short‐lived suggestion of the UK joining the United States‐Mexico‐Canada Agreement (USMCA), we argue that it is the desire to perform 'independence' from the European Union rather than policy content which is driving the UK's trade strategy.