Australian minister warns of free trade deal timeline with the UK

But Phil Stocker, National Sheep Association Chief Executive, says a trade agreement would send a larger amount of sheep meat to United Kingdom retailers when the market is “already suffering.’ “NSA understands Australia has been pushing to increase its European Union quota for many years now, so there is no doubt it would send larger amounts of sheep meat to Europe and the United Kingdom given the opportunity”, Mr Stocker said”.

The government does not plan to begin the formal two-year Brexit process by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty until the start of next year at the earliest.

Steven Ciobo, Australia’s trade minister, has poured cold water on claims that the United Kingdom could gain a fast-track trade deal with the country ahead of the European Union.

“Negotiating trade deals is fraught with complexity”, Ciobo said.

The UK has not yet activated the treaty clause that triggers a two-year exit process from the European Union, though Mrs May has insisted publicly that “Brexit means Brexit” and the clause will be activated some time in 2017.

Speaking in Hangzhou, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull referred to the 23 June referendum in the United Kingdom in favour of leaving the European Union as a “momentous and historic choice”.

The petition states the “shared culture, language and values” would make the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand ideal partners for a freedom of movement agreement. “The UK sheep sector is already suffering unacceptably high levels of imports of New Zealand lamb, much of which is sourced by retailers at times of the year when UK product is in plentiful supply”.

The UK will this week begin preliminary talks with Australian officials for a future free trade deal.

“My formal advice is that, and this is from the United Kingdom side, the United Kingdom is unable to negotiate or sign an agreement prior to the formal exit from the EU”, Ciobo told the programme.

“We can certainly have preliminary discussions and that’s part of what I’m doing here this week. Some discussions about what our ambitions and aspirations are – and there’s been good alignment in terms of those conversations”.

The Australian British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) welcomed a step forward in the future of Australian-British trade relations following Wednesday’s announcement of a bilateral Trade Working Group between the two countries.

Ciobo’s comments came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. They will only begin once the United Kingdom has left the EU, Fox and Ciobo suggested.

As well as considering bilateral links, it will look at relevant global trade standards, including World Trade Organization rules.