The government has “understood the message” that it will not be able to 'cherry-pick' access to the EU’s customs union after Brexit, a minister has said.
In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Lord Price, the minister of state for international trade, said the government now understands a special deal will not be granted, the Independent reported.
“We have understood the message,” said Lord Price. ““Over the past weeks I have met with many of my EU counterparts… most of them have made it clear to me that there will be no cherry-picking.”
The customs union, within which no duties are levied on trade goods, imposes a 'common external tariff'on all goods entering the union.
It is understood from Theresa May’s Brexit speech last month that she wants to negotiate some form of associate member access to the customs union, but with the ability to carry out our own deals with non-EU countries. This would make the UK exempt from the common external tariff, the Independent reported.
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