LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and Switzerland have agreed to allow insurers to trade freely between the two countries after Brexit, Britain’s finance ministry said on Friday.
Both are home to major global insurers such as Swiss Re, Zurich Insurance Group, Aviva and Prudential.
The deal will replicate the effects of the European Union’s insurance agreement with Switzerland and will come into force once that agreement ceases to apply in
Britain.
British finance minister, Philip Hammond, and Ueli Maurer, president of the Swiss Confederation, signed the agreement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Links to financial industries like the Swiss insurance market are important for global financial systems and it’s vital that trade continues between our two countries so firms have the certainty they need to continue to do business and invest in the UK’s bright future,” Hammond said in a statement.
The agreement allows insurers to open branches in each other’s jurisdictions.
Last December Britain agreed terms with the United States to mirror the “covered agreement” on insurance between the United States and the EU.
Earlier, Switzerland and Britain signed an agreement on Monday guaranteeing that flights between the two countries can continue uninterrupted even if London opts to leave the European Union without a deal with Brussels.
Switzerland and Britain signed an agreement on Monday guaranteeing that flights between the two countries can continue uninterrupted even if London opts to leave the European Union without a deal with Brussels.
"We have managed to ensure a flawless transition, which is in the interest of both of our countries," Swiss Transportation Minister Doris Leuthard said in a statement after signing the deal in Zurich with her British counterpart Chris Grayling.
