Europe, Referendum & Brexit (formerly Europe..IN or OUT??)

(09-06-2016 12:37 )schvall Wrote:  Surely you're asking the ultimate dumb question. The EU is a single market - that's the reason it ever existed in the first place. In order to be a single market there has to be free movement of goods within the market and common external agreements. So it's impossible for individual members in a single market to negotiate their own trade deals. As I said, the question you're asking must be the ultimate dumb question.

It's worth adding to the above that the EU, by speaking with a single voice and with a huge combined population, carries considerably more weight in international trade negotiations than any of its individual members such as the UK could manage by themselves.

Michael Froman, the US trade representative, recently said this:

"The US is not keen on pursuing a separate free trade deal with Britain if it leaves the EU, as we’re not particularly in the market for FTAs with individual countries. I think it’s absolutely clear that Britain has a greater voice at the trade table being part of the EU, being part of a larger economic entity, and that EU membership gives Britain more leverage in negotiations."