The agreement on Britain's trade relations with the Union will enter into force at midnight

The agreement on Britain's trade relations with the Union will enter into force at midnight

The post-Brexit trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union will enter into force on midnight on Thursday. Although the United Kingdom leaves the common market and the customs union, the agreement ensures that goods will not be subject to customs duties in trade with each other. The agreement was concluded 4.5 years after the British voted in a referendum to leave the country from the European Union. "The fate of our great country now lies firmly in our hands," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in connection with the approval of the agreement. Opponents, however, claim that the country will still be worse off than during membership in the European Union. Formally, Britain withdrew from the EU on 31 January, but until now it had complied with the Union's trade rules. The UK's future relations with the EU Act was approved by the House of Commons on Wednesday with a vote of 521: 73. The House of Lords passed the law without a vote and was subsequently signed by the Queen. The agreement must also be approved by the European Parliament, but it is expected to do so in a few weeks at the earliest.