London – The British Government wants to transform the United Kingdom into an “export superpower” after the “Brexit”, through the increase of foreign sales from 30% to 35% of GDP, according to the head of International Commerce, Liam Fox.

The minister announced this new objective of the Government, at a time of uncertainty about the negotiations with Brussels on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), which will materialize on March 29, 2019.

In his speech at the London headquarters of the Institute of Directors (IoD), an organization that brings together business executives, the conservative eurosceptic politician encouraged British companies to sell more products and services abroad.

Today @LiamFox launches the Export Strategy – after consultation with 🇬🇧 business – with ambition to increase overseas sales from 30% to 35% of GDP.
Strategy in 45 seconds 👇 #ExportingIsGREAT #ExportStrategy pic.twitter.com/00h6dAAGIx

— Department for International Trade (@tradegovuk) August 21, 2018

Fox: “There is a world beyond Europe”

Fox sees a 5% increase in sales of the Gross Domestic Product, after exports reached 620,000 million pounds (689,440 million euros) in 2017, 30% of GDP.

“UK businesses are superbly positioned to take advantage of the rapid changes in the global economic environment and I believe that the UK has the potential to be the export superpower of the 21st century,” the minister said.

“As an international economic department, we are determined to support, connect and grow the UK companies on the world stage,” Fox added.

Without leaving aside the EU, the minister made it clear that “Europe is and will continue to be an important market for our products and services, but there is a world beyond Europe”.

Since he was appointed head of International Trade in 2016, after the victory of the “brexit” in the referendum on June 23 of that year, Fox has had the task of traveling around the world to seek possible trade agreements with countries outside the European bloc and take advantage of opportunities to increase exports.

According to the minister, “90% of economic growth will take place outside Europe in the next 10 to 15 years”, especially in China.

“Change,” he added, “in the global economic and demographic power, and the rise of the collective wealth of the developing countries will shape the future opportunities” of the United Kingdom.

“The UK is punching above its weight but below its potential.” – @LiamFox launches the Export Strategy, to help 🇬🇧 firms like wine producer @Bolneyestate increase export sales.
Export Strategy in full 👉 https://t.co/QRTWq9WU9Z #ExportingIsGREAT #ExportStrategy pic.twitter.com/wi8Oxc9PMp

— Department for International Trade (@tradegovuk) August 21, 2018

The International Labor spokesman of the Labor opposition, Barry Gardiner, complained on Tuesday, however, that the Government took two years to implement this export strategy and reiterated the need to reach a customs union with the EU.

London proposed last month to the EU the creation of a free trade area for goods after the “Brexit”, which would avoid customs controls and keep the border with Ireland open.

The ministers agreed – at a meeting at May’s country residence outside London – that in order to facilitate such free trade, the United Kingdom would maintain a regulatory equivalence with the EU for goods, but not for services.

Despite this proposal, London and Brussels still do not agree on the future commercial relationship and the border between the two Irish, because the goal is to remain invisible so as not to harm the Northern Irish peace process.

British Health may run out of medicines if there is no “Brexit” pact

The providers of the British National Health Service (NHS) warned that a lack of agreement on the “brexit”, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), could lead to a situation of “shortage of medicines and medical devices, “the BBC reported today.

In an e-mail to which that medium had access, healthcare providers warned the NHS manager, Simon Stevens, that leaving the EU without an agreement would put “immediate risk” in the health services.

According to the executive director of suppliers, Chris Hopson, “without a plan or national coordination there could be a shortage of medicines and medical devices,” which would “hinder the arrest and control of the spread of diseases,” as reported the same sources.

For its part, a spokeswoman for the NHS told the BBC that the health service is developing with the British Government different contingency plans in the face of possible “post-brexit” scenarios.

“We will work with our partners and NHS partners at the national level to ensure that the plans move forward properly and to provide the health service with all the support it needs,” he said.

This news comes after the British Government announced the publication on Thursday of the first of a series of official documents designed to prepare “companies, public bodies and people” in the event that no agreement is reached to the “brexit”.

The minister for the British exit of the EU bloc, Dominic Raab, is in Brussels to continue talks with the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.

Raab said that reaching a divorce agreement is “still the most likely”, but that “responsible” is also to think about alternatives.

The United Kingdom will leave the EU on March 29, 2019, two years after activating Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which started the countdown to the disconnection.