Britain proposes 'temporary customs union' after Brexit

London

BRITAIN'S proposal for post-Brexit arrangements with the European Union (EU) calls for a two-year transition period after March 2019, during which the UK will be able to negotiate trade deals with the US, Singapore and other nations, but not implement them. Under the EU customs deal with member nations, the EU, as a bloc, forges trade deals.

David Davis, Brexit Secretary of State, said independent British trade accords with the US, Asian and other non-EU nations will only take place by 2020 at the earliest. The UK is unlikely to forge trade accords with these countries before 2021.

"The way we approach the movement of goods across our border will be a critical building block for our independent trade policy," he said. "An interim period of about two years would…