The UK’s presumed intent to join the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) is possible, although there is no “access clause” in the agreement, as long as the three partner countries so decide.
“The Vienna Convention states that if a country or country agrees to accede to an international instrument, it can do so as long as others agree,” said the legal, WTO judge, foreign trade arbitrator and human resources partner. .
“In this case, the three (countries) must agree to join the UK and the terms of access must be discussed from the start. You have to specify the terms of access, the date of entry, the list of products, the rules of origin… It’s mini-negotiations,” he explained.
A few days ago, it emerged that the United Kingdom, being unable to conclude bilateral treaty negotiations with the United States, would express interest in joining T-MEC.
The treaty was written in language that shows that there are more than three countries, and for this reason “in principle, perhaps the only thing that needs to be amended is the appendices, since the text allows another member.”
He noted that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that preceded the T-MEC, there was in Chapter 22 Article 2204 an “access clause” for the entry of new partners. It is no longer included in T-MEC, but is not required either.
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