In a speech to business leaders and international diplomats in London, Johnson planned to say: “We want a free-trade agreement,” but not at any cost. “The choice is emphatically not ‘deal or no-deal,’” he was to say, according to extracts released by his office. In their divorce agreement, Britain and the EU agreed to strike an “ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership,” including a free-trade deal and agreements for security and other areas. The bloc insists there can be no trade deal unless Britain agrees to a “level playing field” and does not undercut EU regulations, especially in areas of environmental protections, workers’ rights, and health and safety standards. The EU-Canada deal that the British government cites as a model took seven years to negotiate.

Source: Taipei Times February 03, 2020 16:07 UTC