
US President Donald Trump says earlier this week that the Brexit deal pushed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May was great for the European Union, but it could hurt trade between Washington and London.
Β Just a few days afterΒ President Donald Trump blasted the EU-endorsed Brexit agreement, Theresa May rushed toΒ defend her brainchild asΒ she embarked onΒ a two-week tour ofΒ the country toΒ promote the deal.
The prime minister insisted that the political declaration onΒ the future EU-UK relationship alongΒ with the withdrawal agreement implied that the UK would be βable toΒ negotiate trade deals withΒ countries aroundΒ the rest ofΒ the worldβ.
βAs regards toΒ the US, we have already been talking toΒ them aboutΒ the sort ofΒ agreement that we could have inΒ the future. We have a working group set upΒ and that is working very well, has met several times and is continuing toΒ work withΒ the US onΒ thisβ, she said.
This is the first comment fromΒ May followingΒ Trumpβs suggestion that the UK and the US may not be able toΒ maintain trade relations due toΒ Mayβs deal:
βI think we have toΒ take a look seriously whether or not the UK is allowed toΒ trade. Because right now if you look atΒ the deal, they may not be able toΒ trade withΒ us. And that wouldnβt be a good thing. I donβt think they meant thatβ, he told reporters outsideΒ the White House onΒ Monday.
βThe political declaration we have agreed [upon] withΒ the EU is very clear: we will have an independent trade policy so that the UK can sign trade deals withΒ countries aroundΒ the world β including the US.
βWe have already been laying the groundwork forΒ an ambitious agreement withΒ the US throughΒ our joint working groups, which have met five times so farβ, a spokeswoman forΒ the prime ministerβs office said.
On Monday, Theresa May embarked onΒ a two-week tour ofΒ the UK toΒ sell her Brexit deal agreed uponΒ by European leaders, withΒ the House ofΒ Commons expected toΒ vote onΒ 11 December.
Under the deal, the UK is set toΒ leave the 28-member bloc onΒ 30 March, 2019.Β Within the declaration, the UK and the EU would maintain their close partnership.






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