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31 December 2018

BBC: Brexit: US ambassador to UK Johnson warns on trade deal


Donald Trump's offer of a "quick, massive, bilateral trade deal" will not be possible if Theresa May's EU withdrawal agreement is approved, the US ambassador to the UK has warned.

President Trump had previously said her Brexit proposal sounded like a "great deal for the EU".

Woody Johnson told the BBC the UK was "in need of leadership" over Brexit.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Johnson recently said the UK was "the perfect trading partner for the US".

Mr Johnson told Radio 4's Today programme there was still hope for a UK-US trade deal.

"What I'm focusing on here is something the president has also said - that is looking forward to, and hoping, that the environment will lead to the ability for the US to do a quick, very massive bilateral trade deal," he said.

He added it could be "the precursor of future trade deals with other countries around the world for Great Britain that will really take you way, way into an exciting future".

"We're still going through the stages of deciding exactly where the country is going," said Mr Johnson. "If it goes in a way that allows these kinds of agreements to occur then I think that will be very positive in the president's eyes."

Asked if that would go ahead under the current proposed Brexit deal, which MPs are due to vote on in January, he replied: "It doesn't look like it would be possible."

He said ministers - and the prime minister - had to "measure the impact of all the other trade offs" and how different trade agreements would benefit the UK. [...]

Full article on BBC



© BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation


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