Britain gets Brexit boost from Canada after finance minister hints they’ll work with us on potentially lucrative new trade deal once we quit EU
Bill Morneau says Canada has ‘long-standing approach to positive trade relationships with the UK’
POST-BREXIT Britain got another boost this morning after Canada hinted it was willing to work on a new trade deal once we quit the EU.
Finance minister Bill Morneau says his country's relationship with the UK is "particularly special".
It comes after the EU and Canada finally signed a landmark trade deal last month known as Ceta, which took seven years to draft.
But Britain would hope to negotiate a potentially lucrative agreement much sooner with the North American country, who’s economy is ranked at number 10 in the world.
Which is why Mr Morneau’s comments will be welcomed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, as a new deal will be key to the government’s economic plan once we leave the EU.
Mr Morneau told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "We'll have to work together to see how that arrangement with Europe concludes.
"Of course our perspective will be that we'll have a long-standing approach to positive trade relationships with the UK and we'll work together with whatever framework that comes out of the agreement with Europe."
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On Ceta he added: "We want strong trading relationships with our partners here in the UK and our deal with Europe was a positive step.
“Our expectation is that Britain will ratify the deal and be part of that deal. How the UK and Europe concludes on their arrangement will of course be for them to conclude.”
Asked if he had been in talks with British ministers, he added: "We're always talking about our relationships.
“Of course with the UK it is a particularly special relationship. We will respect the way the UK and Europe concludes its relationship."
Mr Morneau also failed to rule out extending Nafta to include Britain, turning the North American Free Trade Agreement into the 'North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement'.
He said: "For us the framework is always thinking about Canadians. How do we increase our prosperity and we believe trade agreements create a good playing field for people to understand how they can invest.
“We are very optimistic with respect to the Ceta deal. We think it is going to be positive for Canadians, Europeans and people here in the UK.
"Nafta for us has been a very positive trade agreement. It has created real prosperity in region. Anything we can do to improve our economic situation is a positive."