On UK’s list of ‘best trade partners’, France comes 222nd out of 236 countries

Figures show why French Foreign Minister is unwise to be threatening “la guerre” on UK

Le Drian and Macron should pick a different foe to distract the French public from troubles at home

Readers will no doubt have seen media reports of the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, giving a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, where he said that the EU and UK would “rip each other apart” in trade talks.

Naturally the BBC gave this coverage, while giving far less to the news about the Gulf countries wanting a trade deal with the UK. We will report on this latter subject as soon as we can.

The UK’s closest neighbour is its 222nd remotest friend when it comes to trade

Brexit Facts4EU.Org analysed the latest official trade figures from the ‘2019 Pink Book’ published by the Office of National Statistics. We looked at trade in goods, trade in services, and at the surpluses and deficits. In particular we looked at France, the UK’s nearest neighbour.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

France and its trade with the UK

UK’s closest neighbour comes 222nd out of 236 countries, on trade balance
France has a goods trade surplus with the UK of nearly £5bn per year
The UK’s strength in services only lowers France’s total goods and services surplus by £1.9bn
France earns from its trade with the UK
The EU27 countries as a whole earn from their trade with the UK
In the latest figures, the EU27’s surplus on trade of goods and services with the UK was £66.4 billion for 2018

Observations

Just as in Angela Merkel's Germany, Emmanuel Macron's France’s ruling party is in big trouble. The French President’s En Marche now trails Marine le Pen’s Rassemblement Nationale in the polls, and the ‘gilets jaunes’ demonstrations across French cities have not gone away.

When politicians are in trouble at home, the ‘go to’ tactic is to drive up nationalist fervour against an external enemy. Perish the thought that President Macron and his chum Jean-Yves Le Drian would ever resort to trying to use the French people’s strong nationalist instincts… but if the beret fits perhaps it should be worn.

Fortuitously the UK Government’s chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, gave a speech at a Brussels university the day after Foreign Minister Le Drian gave his speech in Munich. In it, Mr Frost made perfectly clear that the EU needs to comprehend what Brexit means.

“It is central to our vision that we must have the ability to set laws that suit us - to claim the right that every other non-EU country in the world has.
“So to think that we might accept EU supervision on so-called level playing field issues simply fails to see the point of what we are doing.”

The upbeat stories you won’t see on the BBC

For as long as we can keep going this year, we will be focusing more and more on the great opportunities ahead of Brexit Britain. As things stand, we have one almost ready for our Saturday edition.

These positive articles will be about all manner of opportunities, not just trade. We hope to address various sectors of life across the United Kingdom.

From farming and fisheries to energy and climate. From controlling freedom of movement to opening up freedom of speech and thought. From enterprise, finance and manufacturing to all of that plus the emergence of a world centre of excellence for robotics and artificial intelligence. From an indoctrinated youth to an explosion of joyous new thinking. From a still-uncomprehending Westminster ‘elite’ to a truly-representative body, enacting the wishes of the people.

Most of all, from a muffled voice in a grey, protectionist, and totalitarian EU to a challenging, visionary, and inspiring voice on the world stage.

If you want to be part of this journey we can only do this with your help. Sadly no billionaires pay for our work – we need you, dear reader. Quick and secure donation methods are below. Thank you.

[ Sources: Office for National Statistics Pink Book 2019 | MSC ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, 18 Feb 2020

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Reader Comments 16

1. Concerned , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 08:59:

I have realized a long time ago the French establishment are the main problem within the EU. Most of the 'issues' that people who dislike the EU direction can be attributed to French influence.
Carry on Macron, I would love to see you score a large own goal like that PM of Ireland, birds of a feather flock together towards the cliffs of your own making.

2. Sydney Ashurst , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 09:29:

Is Macron out of his mind, does he want trade talks to founder on the level playing field gambit. Tariffs will hit French sales to UK, we can shop elsewhere, and definitely keep our fish.
The EU has bigger budgetary problems with our leaving. European leaders are said to be “fighting like ferrets in a sack” over how to fill the €12 billion annual hole left by the UK’s exit from the EU.
Liam Halligan in the Telegraph has: The EU is fatally complacent about the crisis that is about to engulf it. While we want our European neighbours to prosper, it is worth remembering these realities as we negotiate a trade deal. Despite Brussels’ endless mind games, and the relentless pessimism of unreconciled Remainers in the UK commentariat, Britain starts from a position of strength.
Noun. commentariat (informal) All the pundits and commentators of the news media collectively.

3. Not4EU, London , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 09:38:

I thought that David Frost very diplomatically described the EU wannabe empire "A new governmental system overlaid on an old one, purportedly a Europe of nation states, but in reality the paradigm of a new system of transnational collective governance."
In a nutshell why we wanted to leave, & not just the inequity of funding at 12% but only 8% of votes. 8% votes shows just how 'influential' the UK really was.
The continuing outbursts and threats from the EU demonstrate that instilling fear is the only thing that they have, and how they operate. Indeed it has been consistent fearmongering for 4 years now, once the referendum was announced. They know nothing else.
Now we need to see all of our Govt's fine words translated into actions. The evidence of actions so far are not instilling confidence, with seemingly continuing adherence to EU project aspirations such as HS2 (TEN-T Infrastructure), Huawei (EU guidance) & Internet censorship.
I've heard nothing about urgently reviewing the laws implemented to satisfy the Environment Directive which is discouraging dredging and waterways management, by classifying dredging output as 'waste' & so exorbitantly & prohibitively expensive to dispose of, & currently very pertinent. I'm sure that something could be done under civil emergency planning until we've fully left & it's fully under our control.
It's also been very noticable that fishing & defence seem to be 'unmentionables' in promulgations from the Govt. Anyone might think that there are plans to secretly cede our control in these areas.
We are watching with interest, Boris.

4. Sydney Ashurst , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 09:55:

In his landmark speech at ULB Brussels University last night, the Government’s chief future relationship negotiator David Frost laid out the Burkean principles behind Brexit – explaining that British eurosceptics had always felt uncomfortable with the European imposition of a new order as opposed to the UK’s evolution over a millennium
Ending with - It is central to our vision that we must have the ability to set laws that suit us – to claim the right that every other non-EU country in the world has. So to think that we might accept EU supervision on so-called level playing field issues simply fails to see the point of what we are doing. That isn’t a simple negotiating position which might move under pressure – it is the point of the whole project. That’s also why we are not going to extend the transition period beyond the end of this year. At the end of this year, we would recover our political and economic independence in full – why would we want to postpone it? That is the point of Brexit.
(Taken from Guido Fawkes)

5. L Jones , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 10:51:

Why don't they keep on ramming home the fact that the UK doesn't actually need a 'trade deal' in order to leave the EU?

6. Concerned , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 12:42:

Trade deals with the EU are for the birds. I know what their game is - once Britain is neutralised the United Socialist States of Europe can be full steam ahead until the Caliphate stops it in its tracks - both directions are totalitarian by nature. Both by nature are avoidable disasters.
47 years of lies and under performance....... should have left 4 years ago.

7. Martyn, Co. Durham , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 16:42:

Thank you, Facts4EU team for your upcoming positive articles on the wide-ranging, future opportunities of Brexit. After all the negativity of the last few years, I'm sure they'll go down an absolute storm with Brexiteers. As your last couple of your research articles have shown, the UK is far from the tiny country that the EU/Remain liked to portray us at every turn. With our independence and national resurgence, there will be plenty to look forward to.

8. Adam Hiley , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 17:35:

the French are still sore over Verdun ignore them

9. Dave Rutherford , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 19:28:

In the main the French still see us as there natural enemy despite 2 world wars against Germany ! I used to live and work in France and it wasn't hard to see first hand evidence of this, also my working hours were limited to 44 a week whereas a colleague from Belgium was allowed to work as many hours as he wished.

10. Adam Hiley , Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 20:30:

despite Germany's two disastrous Wars I prefer Germans over French any day,

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