British ministers in US to ‘fast-track’ post-Brexit deal
WASHINGTON: Britain was seeking to fast-track a crucial post-Brexit trade deal with the United States yesterday after new Prime Minister Boris Johnson dispatched his top diplomat and foreign trade minister to Washington.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was due to hold talks with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo at the
State Department while the International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has lined up meetings with top American trade officials.
With Mr Johnson determined to ensure Britain leaves the European Union on Oct 31, with or without a deal, striking some kind of trade accord with the Trump administration has taken on even greater importance.
Mr Trump, who sees a like-minded leader in Mr Johnson, has said that trade between the two countries could multiply once Britain leaves the EU and spoke to the British prime minister about a deal within days of his taking office last month.
“Negotiating and signing an exciting new free trade agreement with the US is one of my top priorities,” said Ms Truss, who was a cheerleader for the leave camp in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.
“Having already laid the groundwork, we are fast-tracking this deal so that businesses are able to take advantage of the golden opportunity to increase trade with the US as soon as possible,” she added.
“The US is our biggest trading partner and we have more than $1 trillion invested in each other’s economies. We want to get formal talks moving quickly.”
Ms Truss was due to meet yesterday with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross later in the week, US officials said.
After his first phone call with Mr Johnson, Mr Trump told reporters that a bilateral deal with post-Brexit Britain could be “three to four, five times” bigger than current trade and once London is out of the European Union “we could do much more”.
“We’re working on a trade agreement already,” Mr Trump said. “I think it will be a very substantial trade agreement.”
Mr Johnson is hoping that he can clinch a swift deal that can send a message of Britain’s ability to strike out on its own.
Mr Trump’s enthusiasm for a deal is in marked contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama, who said Britain would be at the “back of the queue” for any trade deal if it left the EU.