Deal or No Deal:  Sliding closer to the Brexit cliff-edge – Updated

by | Jan 17, 2019 | Trade Working Blog

Remove

PM May has suffered a crushing Parliamentary defeat on the Brexit ‘divorce arrangement’.  The universe of possibilities for the next few months ranges from a ‘no-deal’ exit through to no Brexit, with the chance of a second referendum also in the mix.  New Zealand exporters to the UK are likely to be in for an extended period of uncertainty, and will want to think about contingency planning.

A little over two months out from “Brexit Day” on 29 March, the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, negotiated with the EU late last year, was roundly rejected by a historically large margin in the House of Commons on 15 January.  Subsequent PM May faced a vote of no confidence on 16 January, but this was narrowly defeated with the support of governing partner the DUP and hardline Brexiteers.

PM May’s Withdrawal Agreement had tried to reconcile contradictory political priorities – to deliver both a “hard” and a “soft” Brexit – but in the end satisfied almost no-one.

“Unless deliberate action is taken to avert it, the default will be a ‘no-deal’ outcome on 29 March.  This is widely feared as having catastrophic economic implications for the UK (and EU) as well as disrupting trade with third countries…  ”

Confusion is the order of the day

Where this leaves the process is far from clear.   PM May is obliged to bring a new deal to Parliament by Monday 21 January, but one can only speculate on what this might contain: the EU has made it clear that it will not renegotiate the deal, although there will certainly be pressure on the Prime Minister to try and she has said she will explore cross-party comprises with all opposition parties.

Scenarios: no deal, no Brexit, ‘People’s Vote’?

One possible alternative scenario would be the extension of ‘Article 50’ (the departure mechanism) to defer the exit date, but in order to agree, the EU would likely require this to be aimed at accommodating either a second referendum (a ‘People’s Vote’, for which popular enthusiasm is mounting, although polling suggests would still be close) or a general election (less likely).  Equally it is technically possible – although perhaps not politically so at this stage – for the UK unilaterally to withdraw Article 50, halting Brexit.

Most worryingly, however, unless deliberate action is taken to avert it, the default will be a ‘no-deal’ outcome on 29 March.  This is widely feared as having catastrophic economic implications for the UK (and EU) as well as disrupting trade with third countries.

Where does this leave New Zealand exporters?

Uncertainty for the next few months is a given, but there is also a risk of severe disruption for New Zealand exporters to the UK, potentially as soon as the end of March.  Rejected along with the Withdrawal Agreement was the ‘transition period’ under which current trade arrangements would have continued to apply through to the end of 2020 before a new UK-EU trade deal was to have been agreed.

This means that, potentially as soon as 30 March, New Zealand exporters could encounter difficulties both at the border (where the necessary infrastructure and systems for an independent UK are unlikely to be in place) and in the market (if UK exports are unable to trade into the EU market over unfavourable WTO MFN tariffs, the resulting downturn and domestic oversupply may mean downward price pressure in the UK for some products).  New Zealand businesses will want to give serious consideration to contingency planning for a possible no-deal outcome.  MFAT, NZTE and MPI have prepared some useful guidance for this contingency (see links at the end of the blog).

Implications for a UK-NZ FTA

Longer term, what this means for an independent UK trade policy – including the possibility of an FTA with New Zealand (see our paper here) and other trading partners – remains to be seen.   Given recent events, the UK will have stronger reasons than ever to move quickly on FTAs post-Brexit (especially if the “cliff edge” happens), but it is likely that the relationship with the EU will be its major focus for the foreseeable future.  The ‘Political Declaration’, which sketched out elements of a future trade agreement between the EU and UK, was part of the Withdrawal Agreement package.  If the latter fails, that creates further ambiguity about the nature of trade between the two, and its scope for negotiating bilaterally with other countries.

New Zealand papers on Brexit planning:

UK and EU papers on a no-deal outcome:

This post was prepared and updated by Stephanie Honey, Associate Director of NZIBF. 

 

REGISTER WITH TRADE WORKS

Register to stay up to date with latest news, as well as saving and discussing articles you’re interested in.

Latest News

AMIDST THE STORM: ABAC MEETS IN AUCKLAND

Perhaps a cyclone was after all a fitting backdrop for the meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) which was held in Auckland on 12-14 February – the global environment against which the meeting took place is decidedly stormy.  In the event the wind...

A YEAR FOR RECONNECTING

As I write this end of year dispatch, NZIBF is preparing to host the first meeting for 2023 of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).  We are looking forward to welcoming the 200 or so business leaders and senior officials from APEC member economies across the...

NZ Herald: Time to lift our game in India

Following his recent visit to India our Executive Director Stephen Jacobi penned this article advocating a more strategic approach to the further development of the relationship. The article was published by the NZ Herald on 9 December.

APEC Rolls out Priorities for 2023

Issued by the Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting - Honolulu, The United States, 13 December 2022 Aiming to provide tailwinds for member economies to strengthen recovery and resilience, as well as advance broad-based economic growth, the United States rolled out its...

NZIBF 2022 Chair Report

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2022 CHAIR’S REPORT I am pleased to present my second report on the activities and achievements of the NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF) for 2022-23, our fifteenth year of operations.  At the outset I would like to thank Members for...

NZ BUSINESS LEADERS AT APEC 2022

New Zealand business will be represented at the APEC Leaders’ Week in Bangkok, commencing 13 November, by members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). New Zealand’s three members – Rachel Taulelei, Malcolm Johns and Anna Curzon – supported by Stephen Jacobi...

Submission to MFAT for CPTPP Review

30 September 2022 Phil Mellor Economic Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington (By email) Dear Phil, Thank you for your email of 1 September, seeking our comments on the three year review of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans...