War in the Gulf and renewed calls for constitutional change in Britain are testing the foundations of the UK’s free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, even before its promised benefits take effect. Threats to shipping present the immediate challenge. Longer term, any breakup of the UK would raise questions about how the agreement applies to new states and whether they could retain its trading advantages. The deal, agreed in May, is expected to add £3.7 billion ($5 billion) annual

Source: Arab News