UK to start trade talks with US next week – reports
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UK ministers are to start trade deal talks with the U.S. next week, The Sun reported on Friday.
Britain has issued the order to start formal negotiation with U.S. despite the coronavirus pandemic, the report added.
The Sun’s report says “Beginning on Wednesday, it is due to last for two weeks.”
It adds that the White House has been pressing to start the talks for months while the UK was dragging its feet. Donald Trump is desperate to do a deal by the Autumn ahead of the November presidential election.
But until now, No10 has moved at a slower pace, with Boris Johnson fearing a simultaneous Transatlantic negotiation would complicate talks with the EU for a trade deal by the end of this year. A source close to the negotiations said: “No10 gave the green light late this week for the talks to start.
“The process has been significantly speeded up.”Beginning negotiations with the US now could help to add pressure on Brussels after the Brexit talks hit another logjam last week.
The PM is defying mounting calls to extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of this year to allow Downing Street to concentrate fully on the coronavirus crisis.
