Britain struck a historic trade deal to join a vast Indo-Pacific trade bloc after nearly two years of intense negotiations. Britain said the deal will cut tariffs on exports of food, drink and cars, and will grant access to a market of around 500 million people and will be worth 15% of global GDP once the UK joins the trade bloc. While the trade commissioner said it "wouldn't be appropriate" to comment on individual economies, she noted the barriers to joining the trade bloc are very high