Australian and New Zealand have announced that they will begin negotiations on a free trade agreement with the UK.
Both nations are understood to be eager to do deals with the UK to boost their economies as they emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.
Australian trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said: “We are ready to help the UK find new beginnings post-Brexit and in doing so, open up new doors for our farmers, businesses and investors.
“We’ve been preparing for this deal since the UK decided to leave the EU and welcome their agreement to commence negotiations.”
Mr Birmingham indicated that a deal between the two nations could be ready by the end of this year. The UK is Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner and the two nations have strong ties through the existing Commonwealth.
Speaking during the same announcement David Parker, New Zealand’s trade minister, said: “As the UK embarks on its next steps post-Brexit, New Zealand is pleased to be among the first countries to negotiate a trade agreement with one of our oldest friends.”
He added that New Zealand and Britain had “a close relationship, including strong trade and economic ties, common values and traditions and a shared history.”
Trade between the UK and New Zealand is estimated to be worth around NZ$6 billion last year, making the UK the nation’s sixth-largest trading partner.
The first round of negotiations between Australia and the UK is due to begin on 29 June and will be held remotely due to the ongoing pandemic.
In recent months, the UK has begun to set out trade deals with several nations, including the US and Japan. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he believed a trade deal with the EU could be completed by the end of July allowing the UK to enter into bilateral deals with other trading partners.
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