What’s an Australian deal?

AUSTRALIA and the EU do not have a comprehensive free trade agreement.

There are deals on individual issues, like scientific cooperation and export of wine. Most trade is done on World Trade Organisation rules. In practice, that means tariffs on goods traded between the UK and EU, plus quota restrictions and more customs checks.

We would also still need separate arrangements for a host of non-trade cooperation, like policing and scientific collaboration. In this respect, Australia has a decades-long head start on us.