The UK regions and Nations which voted for Brexit have increased their dependence on the EU for manufacturing exports, while the European market remains the overwhelming favoured destination for the sector.

The EU’s share of Wales’ export market has risen from 58% to 60%, despite a reduced dependence on the EU and opening up export markets with the rest of the world being a stated objective of the Brexit project.

The U.K.’s hard-line Brexit backers are making their move. If they get their way on the U.K.’s new trade arrangements, they will face a test of gravity.

Martin Wolf: Britain’s demands for its negotiations with the EU are unrealistic.

"I do worry that people are starting to imagine that a trade deal with Australia is somehow a substitute for being on the doorstep of a market with 500 million people, it's not" says former Australian PM Julia Gillard.