CGTN Europe interviewed Marco Forgione, Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade Director General
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00:00Well, let's talk now to Marco Forgione, who's Director-General of the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade.
00:06Good to see you back on the programme, Marco.
00:07So, the fact that the UK and the EU have made a deal at all is significant, isn't it?
00:12Are there any surprises in the detail?
00:15Well, we're waiting to hear the full detail of what's been agreed, but the heads of terms are hugely positive.
00:22And I think what was slightly unexpected was around professional travel and mutual recognition for trade and services.
00:32Of course, that's about 80% of the UK economy.
00:34All the headlines are being written by the SPS, the Sanitary Phytosanitary, dealing with food, drink and agricultural products.
00:41But I think behind that, there are a number of areas where there are interesting opportunities that will have really important economic impact.
00:49So, what does this deal say about the reset of the relationship between the two?
00:54Because it was pretty acrimonious, wasn't it, in the initial period after Brexit?
00:59Well, I think, yes, it was fairly tetchy, the relationship for a while, between the UK and the EU.
01:07But what's clear, where we're at now, this agreement announced today, really puts that cooperation back into the trade and cooperation agreement.
01:17I think this is about understanding that the world of international trade is changing.
01:24And actually, it's really important that two major trading partners, the UK and the EU, needs to have a much better relationship and to remove unnecessary friction.
01:35So, a better relationship. But does it look like something of a re-entry to the EU, a gradual re-integration, perhaps?
01:42I think what we're looking at here is a mechanism for the UK and the EU economies to work much more closely together and collaboratively.
01:53But there's absolutely no ability for the UK to directly be re-integrated into a customs union or into a single market.
02:04There are freedoms and flexibilities that the UK has that other nations within the EU don't have.
02:10And if you look at the last couple of weeks, you know, we had the trade agreement between the UK and India, we've got the trade agreement between the UK and the US, we've got the ongoing negotiations around the Middle East, the GCC countries.
02:24So, I think that what we're seeing is a rewriting of the mechanism, the partnerships, the relationships of international trade.
02:32And actually, the UK is at the heart of that.
02:34Marco, great to talk to you. Thanks for coming on the programme.
02:38That's Marco Forgioni, Director General of the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade.