British diplomat: Brexit will open Washington state, British trade opportunities

The United Kingdom is Washington’s fifth-largest trading partner, buying more than $5 billion worth of goods and services annually.

The volume of exports across the Atlantic might surprise some state residents, British Consul General Andrew Whittaker said Thursday during a visit to Spokane from San Francisco, where he’s based. Many local residents are probably more familiar with Washington exports to Pacific Rim countries, he said.

When the U.K. leaves the European Union through Brexit, trade between his country and the state will strengthen, Whittaker predicted.

“As members of the European Union, we cannot sign free trade agreements on our own,” he said. But after the exit, there are “opportunities for the U.K. to develop more and more ambitious trade deals.”

Signing a free trade agreement with the U.S. is a high priority for the U.K.,Whittaker said. President Donald Trump has indicated he’ll support a post-Brexit deal, tweeting after a July meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May that his administration was working on “a major trade deal” that “could be very big & exciting. JOBS.”

The U.K., meanwhile, is working to woo U.S. companies to its shores with attractive tax breaks on corporate research and development spending and the country’s highly educated workforce, Whittaker said.

In Washington, sales of Boeing airplanes and other aerospace products dominate trade between the U.K. and state. The aerospace industry accounts for $2.7 billion in annual exports to the U.K.

But tensions are rising over Boeing’s allegations that Canadian airplane manufacturer Bombardier is selling below-cost planes in the U.S. market. Bombardier employs 4,000 people in Northern Ireland, where it is the largest private sector employer.

Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department imposed a 300 percent tax on Bombardier’s C-Series jet.

“We are dissappointed that Boeing made unsubstantiated claims,” said Robin Twyman, who works for the U.K. government office in Seattle. “We hope this will be resolved soon.”