Liam Fox has been accused of burying his “head in the sand” over the impact of Brexit by touting the benefits of a new free trade agreement in the Pacific with countries that account for a small proportion of UK exports.
The international trade secretary hailed the introduction of the new Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP), which comes into force on Sunday, saying exports of key products such as Scotch whisky could be boosted if the UK joined the alliance after Brexit.
The agreement, which covers 11 countries around the Pacific rim, including Australia, Canada and Japan, will eliminate tariffs on 95 per cent of goods traded between states.
This article originally appeared in The Independent here.