UK Not Putting Timescale On US Post-Brexit Trade Deal - Environment Minister

UK Secretary of State for Environment, George Eustice, said on Wednesday that the UK government wants to sign a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States but it is not putting a "timescale" on the negotiations

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2021) UK Secretary of State for Environment, George Eustice, said on Wednesday that the UK government wants to sign a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States but it is not putting a "timescale" on the negotiations.

"We want to do a trade deal with the United States. We've always been clear on that, (but) we've never put a timescale on that," Eustice told the Sky news broadcaster.

His comments come after US President Joe Biden played down the chances of brokering a deal with the UK during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House on Tuesday.

Before the meeting, Biden told reporters that he would discuss trade with Johnson "a little bit" and the prime minister's office only said later on in a statement that the leaders had agreed "to continue working towards a future full Free Trade Agreement.

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Asked about Washington's apparent disinterest in getting a trade deal with London, Eustice argued that "President Biden has always been clear that trade deals are not a priority for him at the moment."

On UK media reports that the UK government is now considering joining the existing North American trade pact between Mexico, the US and Canada, the British official said that "we don't rule anything out, but our preference is to a do bilateral trade agreement with the United States."