The map above was created by the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign and highlights the huge risk to the British economy if it votes to leave the EU.
At risk are EU signed free trade deals with 60+ countries (covering an area far larger than the British Empire). If the UK were to leave, it would have to start from square one and renegotiate new free trade deals with each and every one.
According to Britain Stronger In Europe over £235bn of trade is at risk if Britain leaves the EU.
Analysis of the UK’s trade figures shows that the EU is the UK’s largest trading partner – accounting for 50% of all UK goods exports and worth £148bn in 2014.
When you take into account trade deals currently being negotiated by the EU, that figure rises to to an incredible 80% of all UK goods exports. This totals £236bn. That means that if the UK were to leave the EU, exports worth more than £235bn would be in danger of facing trade barriers and tariffs, which could significantly reduce and damage UK-EU trade.
Still not convinced? Then have a look at the following books:
- The In/Out Question
- Why Europe Matters: The Case for the European Union
- Europe: In or Out?: Everything You Need to Know
Think the UK is better off in the EU? Then please share this post:
Otto von Bismarck says
This map is seriously outdated and completely misses the point about global trade in the modern world. It’s an argument for trade bilateralism, a state of affairs that existed before the WTO when high tariff barriers were a serious problem and agreements were made between countries on an individual basis. Nowadays trading relationships are for the most part conducted at a global level via the WTO-it’s multilateral. There’s limits to tariffs, you can’t discriminate against individual member countries (other than some limited cases which wouldn’t apply with the UK/EU), and so on.
If the UK exits the EU it will probably join the EEA and EFTA anyway as a replacement, maintaining access to the EU internal market but junketing the political structures that accompany our EU membership. There is no risk whatsoever to British trade from a Brexit if calm heads prevail.
George Richardson says
This is blatant scare-mongering, EU would be mad to cut off trade – UK will be their single biggest export market as a non-EU member. If, for a moment, we contemplate the notion that EU would be so nasty – then the question: Should the UK abandon its sovereignty for 30 pieces of silver? Of course not. UK, together with the other 15 Realms with the same Head of State have 145m people, in an area larger than Russia, united a single symbolic ruler, Westminster-style parliaments and Common Law. The Realms have over 1500 vibrant cultures, including about 1300 indigenous linguistic groups. Why would the UK wrench itself from its historic overseas ties? With emerging technologies, one will be able to breakfast in Manchester, lunch in Vancouver, and dine in Sydney. Think of your grandchildren and great grand children, where will they be able to flourish? Europe is wonderful, but the continent has always been out of step with the British Isles.
mP says
Australia survives just fine by itself with NZ. Being disconnected from Europe will be a blessing. Bigger does not mean better, look at China, so many people and so little life. Look at life in big cities all those people sitting in metal boxes travelling across town to work and then back home and then they are old and die.
We are all rich enough we dont need more economic growth, the cost in terms of time is too much and the cost to the environment is destroying the one thing you cant buy a new home planet.