Transatlantic Greater Birmingham


Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce


The Greater Birmingham Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting trade and investment between the US and the UK


Contact: Lauren Hunt T: 0845 603 6650


Transatlantic Chamber Patrons


Sky’s the limit: The agreement is good news for airlines such as United


US ‘open skies’ arrangement welcomed


Transatlantic business chiefs have welcomed the ‘open skies’ arrangement between the UK and the United States as a sign of “positive momentum”. The arrangement means airlines will continue


to fly from the UK to the US after Brexit, and the deal will replace the existing EU aviation agreement with the States. A similar deal has been reached for flights between the UK and Canada. BritishAmerican Business, of which the Greater


Birmingham Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce (GBTCC) is part, have been lobbying for


guarantees of continued air travel between the two countries. Director of policy and trade Emanuel Adam


said: “This announcement is certainly good news to the transatlantic business community. With the March 2019 Brexit deadline nearing, it came just in time. “Since the referendum in June 2016, as part of


BAB’s Brexit priorities, we have actively advocated for and worked with both Governments and relevant stakeholders to ensure that we reach an agreement that offers thousands of businesses a guarantee of the


Brexit warning is a ‘red herring’


President Trump’s warning that Britain’s EU withdrawal agreement could scupper a trade deal with the United States ignores the already fruitful trading relationship between the two nations, a Brexit expert has said. Following the President’s comments,


Professor Alex de Ruyter (pictured right), director of Birmingham City University’s Centre for Brexit Studies, has highlighted that while the terms of the withdrawal agreement mean a formal deal probably cannot be struck with the US, the UK already enjoys strong trade links across the Atlantic without a formal arrangement. Professor de Ruyter said that while the UK


remained in a customs union with the EU, it would be unable to sign independent trade deals, but that focussing on the difficulties


formalising of a deal with the US was a ‘red herring’. He said: “The desirability, or otherwise, of a


trade ‘deal’ with the US notwithstanding, we should be mindful of the fact that EU membership has not prevented the UK from enjoying a robust trade relationship with the US. “Indeed, it is one of the few countries that we


enjoy a merchandise trade surplus in, we are the largest source of FDI into the US, and it is our number one export destination for manufactured goods. “Given the fact that Trump appears committed


to reducing US bilateral deficits, alongside the fact that the UK would be very much the junior partner in any “deal”, it is unclear that such a trade agreement would significantly improve on this current performance from a UK perspective.”


February 2019 CHAMBERLINK 47


continuation of the air travel between the UK and the US, including on the world’s-busiest route between London and New York. “The agreement now presented ensures that


the UK maintains access to international aviation markets; and it protects what is one of the most valuable economic relationships in the world. “We hope that this positive momentum can


be maintained, and a similar agreement achieved with the European Union, to cement Britain’s global hub status, maintain essential tourism links, and grow business’ confidence in the UK economy.”


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