The UK is learning how important it is to have market power in FTA negotiations. When the entire EU (28 countries) negotiated FTAs with non-member countries, they were able to insist on basic human rights standards. No so anymore as Britain is trying to renegotiate its own agreements. The Guardian reports that “Britain has received demands to roll back its human rights standards in exchange for progress on post-Brexit trade deals…” Even countries like Japan and Korea are in no hurry to sign trade deals and demand additional economic concessions. So far, only the UK has rolled over just £16bn out of £117bn in trade deals (link).
