https://elcomercio.pe/economia/mundo/brexit-relacion-comercial-reino-unido-peru-cuales-son-los-intereses-britanicos-en-el-peru-tras-su-salida-de-la-union-europea-entrevista-mark-menzies-inglaterra-noticia/ From pisco and lithium to reconstruction, what are the interests of the United Kingdom in Peru after brexit?
The United Kingdom made its exit from the European Union on February 1st, 2020, after the British people decided to separate from the entity in June 2016. This process is known as brexit. In conversation with El Comercio, Mark Menzies, commercial envoy of the United Kingdom, details how his country's relationship with Peru will be, the interest in collaborating with the north's reconstruction, and details which are the industrial sectors that have aroused greater interest in British investors
- After brexit, how could the trade relationship between Peru and the United Kingdom change?
Brexit is a fantastic opportunity in many ways and especially in commercial terms. For Peru's relationship with the United Kingdom it is a very good commercial opportunity.
The first time I came to Peru in 2017, the referendum had already been held. Many people asked me if this was a time when the United Kingdom was moving away from the world, but it is the exact opposite. It is an opportunity to open up to the world, to seek new relationships, new friendships and new alliances with countries in commercial terms.
When we were part of the European Union, it is true that we formed what was known as the largest [block of countries]. But at the same time that block grouped economies whose GDP was in decline, and this exit allows us to have relations with many other countries that are growing, such as Peru. And that is why there is so much interest.
Throughout history, the best moments for the United Kingdom have been those in which it has sought to have a greater commercial expansion throughout the world, at times when it has opened more towards the world and precisely this is one of those moments. With Peru there is this opportunity in which we can establish new relationships and extend them to other sectors of great importance such as infrastructure and climate change, where there can be many synergies between the two countries. We speak, for example, of being able to lend a hand to combat illegal mining.
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- What would be the contributions of the United Kingdom so that Peru has a clean and responsible mining?
The United Kingdom is the main foreign investor in Peru and much of that investment is the mining sector. Two years ago I visited the Quellaveco mining project, which is owned by the British company Anglo American, and this is one of the great examples of responsible mining, which seeks to protect the environment and support communities. Other British companies with a presence in Peru are Mitsubishi, Rio Tinto, GSK, AstraZeneca, British American Tobacco, G4S, Shell, Diageo, BHP Billiton, Unilever and Wood plc. The investment levels of competitors are growing, including regional actors such as Chile and Colombia, as well as Asia. Spain, the United States, Brazil and the Netherlands are among the main investor countries in Peru.
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- What would be the next British investments in Peru?
A first sector that interests us a lot is lithium, where Peru has the potential for very large reserves. This is because lithium is an essential element for the production of electric car batteries. The United Kingdom has established a strategy that seeks that British cars should be fully electric by 2030. This also creates a great opportunity to use our experiences and technologies to help develop lithium reserves in Peru.
Likewise, the Peruvian ambassador to the United Kingdom and his sales team are doing a great job analyzing these possibilities and promoting British investments in Peru. There is a good job on the way and that will continue to give good results.
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