As the UK prepares to leave the EU, the Government has confirmed that it is poised to outline what it hopes to achieve with its landmark trade deals with the EU and US.
Boris Johnson and his Government is under immense pressure from MPs, business leaders and foreign powers to clarify his red lines as he attempts to meet his self-imposed deadline for an EU trade deal at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020.
The EU deal, while important, will also be negotiated alongside a parallel deal with the US, which many consider to be as vital to the UK’s future trading success.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman recently told journalist that the Government “will be very clear about what we are looking to achieve in our future partnership” and that the UK’s position “will be set out in coming weeks”.
They also confirmed that Downing Street had “been making extensive preparations” for US trade talks and was currently consulting with experts on its approach.
“We will be setting out further details once we have left the EU, which is the point where we are able to start negotiating,” he added. “We are free from 1 February to begin talking to countries around the world, not just the EU.”
Chancellor Sajid Javid has already confirmed that the UK will not seek alignment with EU standards after Brexit.
His comments have since been backed by the Prime Minister’s spokesman, who stressed the UK would be “in a position of equivalence”.
“The type of agreement we are looking for is Canada-style FTA,” he said. “We will be in state of equivalence when we leave but from that point on it will be for the government to set our own rules.”
Unfortunately, the European Commission has since confirmed that talks will now not begin until March; further shortening the small window of time to achieve a deal.
The Commission’s chief spokesperson said: “The commission can adopt its proposal for the negotiation directives only once the UK has actually withdrawn from the EU, but then there is still an institutional process for these to be adopted by the [European] Council.
“This we know will take some time, which is why we have said we will start negotiations as quickly as we can, but it will certainly not be before the end of February, beginning of March.”
Since Boris Johnson’s team announced the importance of a parallel US deal, US president Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos has said that his country was looking forward to negotiating a “tremendous” post-Brexit trade deal with the UK.
“We look forward to negotiating a tremendous new deal with the United Kingdom, which has a wonderful new Prime Minister, who wants very much to make a deal.”
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