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The United Kingdom and the United States hope to reach an agreement to reduce trade tariffs, according to Robert Lighthizer, the United States trade representative in the outgoing administration of Donald Trump.
In an interview with the BBC, Lighthizer said he was in talks with the UK’s international trade secretary, Liz Truss, that it could remove the high tariffs imposed by the US on products such as scotch whiskey.
“I’m hopeful that we can get some kind of deal, you know, we don’t have much time left,” Lighthizer said.
His comments come just days after the UK lifted EU tariffs on aircraft maker Boeing, putting it at odds with the rest of the bloc, hoping to secure a swift post-Brexit trade deal with Washington .
The United States and the EU have been locked in a long-running trade dispute over subsidies to Airbus, Boeing’s bitter European rival, and the US aircraft manufacturer.
The EU imposed retaliatory tariffs on US imports totaling $ 4bn (£ 3bn) after a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the United States had provided illegal state aid to Boeing.
The WTO had also previously ruled that EU governments, including the UK, France and Germany, had provided illegal state aid to Airbus. As a result, UK products such as Scotch whiskey and wool sweaters were hit by US-imposed 25% tariffs.
However, the US Trade Representative suggested that the UK’s decision to drop the tariffs on Boeing did not go far enough and was not seen as a concession, because after leaving the EU, the UK would not have the right to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US
The discussions around a trade deal between the UK and the US go far beyond the aerospace industry or the provision of subsidies.
The US has long sought better access to UK agriculture, although the UK government announced in November that it would not allow US chlorinated chicken or hormone-fed beef on the shelves. from UK supermarkets.
This was seen as a rejection of the US demand that animal welfare standards be lowered as part of a trade agreement.
“EE. You need to gain additional access to the UK agricultural market; that’s an important part; each side has to get something out of that, “Lighthizer said.
He added “These are complicated technical problems. And they are the kind of things that will be resolved, I think, in the final stages of the negotiation.
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Despite several potential hurdles, Lighthizer said he believed they could “be fixed here probably in the next two to three weeks or so …”
With just over a month until President-elect Joe Biden takes office, time is running out for Donald Trump’s team to reach an agreement with the United Kingdom.
Lighthizer said that “there is no reason why the United States and the United Kingdom cannot come to an agreement quickly enough” once certain issues have been resolved.
