Trade in goods, services features in tough Brexit negotiations

London

EIGHTEEN months since the referendum in June 2016, the UK and the European Union (EU) are only now ready for challenging trade negotiations.

Phase one of the negotiations has finally been signed off, but EU leaders have declared that official trade negotiations will only begin in March.

Several leaders maintain that they don't know what the UK wants and that negotiators on both sides require some 12 weeks to prepare.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's stance has been for Britain to leave the EU's single market and customs union.

Such a move would be problematic, however, because of the border between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned on Friday that the economic consequences of such a policy woul…