MIV views in light of Brexit

“The UK is and will remain a member of the World Trade Organisation, and is thus bound by common rules,” says Eckhard Heuser, executive director of the Dairy Industry Association (MIV) in Berlin, reacting to Brexit, the British vote in favour of leaving the EU.
German dairies exported last year 13,000 tons of UHT milk, 12,000 tons of condensed milk and 68,000 tons of cheese to the UK. The main German export product is around 94,000 tons of yogurt. The trade surplus for Germany is positive, while the British sent only about 13,000 tons of cheese to Germany.
“We expect continued fair cooperation in trade in the future,” is the message from MIV. Aside from the statistical data, political issues play a main role. The EU will have to revise its entire third country agreements as well.
A quick trade agreement between the UK and the US is anticipated by MIV, which sees TTIP friends in the old EU losing an important supporter in the negotiations in Washington and Brussels.
Financially, the exit of the UK from the EU will not have a positive effect for the German milk industry. The British were net payers, and thus there will be less money to distribute in the EU.
“Not an easy day for Europe. Therefore, it is now even more important to develop and strengthen the European idea,” says Heuser.

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