The UK and Turkey signed a free trade agreement on Tuesday to continue existing trade arrangements between the two countries after Britain exits the European Union’s single market and customs union on Dec. 31. Turkey is not part of the EU but has a customs union agreement with the 27-nation bloc. The UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement will enable the UK to continue trading with Turkey on preferential terms it enjoyed as part of the EU after the Brexit transition period ends on Thursday. “Today’s deal covers trade worth more than £18 billion (US$ 24 billion), delivers vital certainty for business, and supports thousands of jobs across the UK in the manufacturing, automotive, and steel industries,” UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement. “It paves the way for a new, more ambitious deal with Turkey in the near future, and is part of our plan to put the …