Displaying items by tag: trade relationships

Britain is Israel’s largest trade partner in Europe; that relationship seems to be going from strength to strength. Exports from the UK to Israel increased by 75% in the first half of 2018, with more than £7 billion in trade between the two countries in 2017. Trade minister Liam Fox, on a visit to Israel to strengthen trade relationships, told prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ‘As we leave the EU and Britain takes its place as an independent state of the World Trade Organization, we want to push our concept of free trade even further. In a world where the siren calls of protectionism are rising, two free-trade nations like ours need to make the case for global free trade because trade spreads prosperity.’ Netanyahu said, ‘Britain is one of our most important trading partners in the world, and we value the friendship.’

Theresa May visited Africa on a major mission to build up new trade relations ahead of Brexit. Pray that every detail of conversations with South African, Nigerian and Kenyan leaders will be used to re-engage with a fast-growing continent which some feel British business and politicians have neglected in recent years. Pray that the delegates who travelled with her (trade minister George Hollingbery, minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin, secretary of state for Wales Alun Cairns, a Stock Exchange representative, and the Lord Mayor of London Charles Bowman) will in the future be able to build on the links made. A Government statement before the visit stated, ‘This comes at a time of enormous change across Africa with a unique opportunity, as the UK moves towards Brexit, for a truly global Britain to invest in and work alongside African nations, with mutual benefits.’

At the time of writing Theresa May is visiting Kenya. There is a desire for both countries to develop trust and trade in the future. On her visit the PM was joined by several ministers and 29 business representatives from various industries. We can pray that her visit will initiate and bolster improved post-Brexit trade and cultural ties between the nations. Many believe that in the past Britain has not treated Kenya with equality, but rather as a bully, while the Chinese have humbly generated business: statistics show that China has dwarfed UK imports to Kenya over the last three decades. Pray for the West to rethink foreign policy. One of the Kenya-UK partnership agreements was a commitment to improve lives of people living with disability.