AFP, Washington :
US President Donald Trump touted the prospects of a “very big” trade deal with Britain on Tuesday as the minister tasked with clinching accords for the post-Brexit era met officials in Washington.
“Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS!” Trump tweeted.
“The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!” he added, repeating a common line of attack against trading partners for what he says are unfair policies that hurt US businesses.
The latest Twitter swipe came as US and British officials met for the second day of the inaugural round of talks aimed at boosting trade relations between the two countries after Britain exits the European Union.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his British counterpart Liam Fox are leading the US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group.
It will be “a key mechanism to deepen our already strong bilateral trade and investment relationship, and to lay the groundwork for our future trade relationship once the UK has left the EU,” Lighthizer said in a statement Monday.
“I look forward to building on our already strong economic relationship and furthering our mutual goal of achieving free and fair trade and investment to create good-paying jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Fox said it will be important to give businesses in both countries continuity while Britain negotiates its status with the EU and after Brexit.
“This will be our forum to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment relationship and deepen the already extensive economic ties between the UK and US,” Fox said.
Trade between the two countries is already worth about $230 billion a year, and together there is around $1 trillion invested in each other’s economies, according to USTR.
However, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that New Zealand could expect to be one of the first nations to ink a trade deal with London post-Brexit.
US President Donald Trump touted the prospects of a “very big” trade deal with Britain on Tuesday as the minister tasked with clinching accords for the post-Brexit era met officials in Washington.
“Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS!” Trump tweeted.
“The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!” he added, repeating a common line of attack against trading partners for what he says are unfair policies that hurt US businesses.
The latest Twitter swipe came as US and British officials met for the second day of the inaugural round of talks aimed at boosting trade relations between the two countries after Britain exits the European Union.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his British counterpart Liam Fox are leading the US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group.
It will be “a key mechanism to deepen our already strong bilateral trade and investment relationship, and to lay the groundwork for our future trade relationship once the UK has left the EU,” Lighthizer said in a statement Monday.
“I look forward to building on our already strong economic relationship and furthering our mutual goal of achieving free and fair trade and investment to create good-paying jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Fox said it will be important to give businesses in both countries continuity while Britain negotiates its status with the EU and after Brexit.
“This will be our forum to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment relationship and deepen the already extensive economic ties between the UK and US,” Fox said.
Trade between the two countries is already worth about $230 billion a year, and together there is around $1 trillion invested in each other’s economies, according to USTR.
However, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that New Zealand could expect to be one of the first nations to ink a trade deal with London post-Brexit.
