London — Britain has ruled out staying in any customs union with the EU after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman says as the government prepares for a crunch week of Brexit talks. The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU’s customs union, which binds members to a trade bloc with common external tariffs, has become a major issue of contention inside May’s divided government and Conservative Party. Membership of a customs union after Brexit would prevent London from striking trade deals with countries outside the EU in future. "The key point, as the prime minister has said on many, many occasions, is that we need to have our own independent trade policy and be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world," May’s spokesman said. "We will be leaving the EU and the customs union and it is not government policy to be members of ‘the’ customs union or ‘a’ customs union". Two options The official negotiating stance had been set out in a document publis...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.