Britain’s finance chief starts overseas tour on Brexit fears
PRETORIA, South Africa — Britain’s exit from the European Union will be a “smooth process” that will not disrupt trade patterns with smaller countries, finance chief Philip Hammond said Wednesday as he began an overseas tour to reassure global partners ahead of his nation’s planned EU departure.
Philip Hammond met with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and business leaders in South Africa and is due to visit Japan and South Korea next. South Africa is Britain’s biggest export market in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 8 billion pounds in 2015.