This has been agreed in principle, with some outstanding technical issues to be concluded in 2019. However, negotiations on free trade agreements have become increasingly controversial among the general public. The negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the EU-US free trade agreement, are an example of this. Negotiations on the EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement (CETA) have also been controversial. The months-long standoff between political actors has seriously called into question the effectiveness and reliability of the decision-making process in European trade policy and has damaged the EU`s international credibility and effectiveness. If the UK were to act under WTO rules, tariffs would be imposed on most goods that British companies send to the EU. This would make British products more expensive and more difficult to sell in Europe. The UK could also do the same with EU products if it so wishes. EU trade policy, types of trade agreements, status of trade negotiations, research into international trade policies. Why Switzerland is worried about British trade after Brexit The UK and the EU are negotiating a trade deal that starts on 1 January 2021 – the date on which the new relationship between the UK and the EU begins. In the EFTA countries, openness to trade and access to international markets are the basis for economic growth and the common good.

The EFTA States also actively apply and promote high standards of sustainable development and inclusion in their trade and foreign policies. With the adoption of Model Provisions on Trade and Sustainable Development in 2010, EFTA Ministers recognised the need for greater policy coherence at national and international levels in order to harness the potential of a positive contribution of international trade to the promotion of sustainable development. The EU has concluded free trade agreements with 37 partners that have fully entered into force, including, for example, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, as well as free trade agreements with 43 partners, such as Canada and Ukraine, which are provisionally applied. In May, the EU and Mexico also reached an agreement as part of negotiations to modernise the existing agreement. Negotiations on new free trade agreements with 19 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, are ongoing. .