ARTICLE · 12 NOVEMBER 2019

The Brexit Effect: CETA And The WTO

Watson Goepel LLP

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Unless the latest deadline is another case of "The Boy Who Cried Brexit", this Hallowe'en, October 31st, may be the day that the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union.

GlobalGovernment, Public Sector

Anita Boscariol

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Unless the latest deadline is another case of "The Boy Who Cried Brexit", this Hallowe'en, October 31st, may be the day that the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union. However, the UK Parliament's European Union (Withdrawal) Act, which requires parliamentary approval of any withdrawal agreement negotiated between the UK and the European Union, and which will repeal the European Communities Act, may apply – thus postponing again the anticipated withdrawal.

The effects of this looming departure will surely ripple across the pond to Canada, where we have substantial long-standing trade and cultural ties with the UK.

CETA

A tie which Brexit may sever is one which is built into the Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA), concluded between Canada with the European Union two years ago. CETA came into effect on September 21, 2017, opening the door for free trade, eliminating 98% of tariffs as well as the significant reduction and removal of

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