Post-Brexit UK in Asia-Pacific: Early comments on FTAs

Having lived through a narrow win for the Brexit movement, the UK now finds itself in the world of reality, one that apparently sees the nation's economy contracting and its sphere of international influence diminished around the globe. This paper explores recent attempts by the UK to re-write itself as somewhat of a dominant power beyond the borders of the EU. We concentrate on efforts the UK is making in the Asia-Pacific region, with particular attention to the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (AUKFTA) and, to a lesser extent, the recently announced agreement to allow the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We conclude that the UK has no guarantee of success in re-inventing its relevance on the world trade scene, and it is unlikely that any imminent Free Trade Agreement deals will bring great economic prosperity in the near future. Perhaps it may have been best for the UK to have remained as an EU member state after all.