UK moots free trade pact with US, Canada, Mexico

London

THE UK is eyeing membership of an existing free trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico, as hopes faded for an immediate separate agreement with Washington.

US President Joe Biden on Sept 21 made no commitment to a free trade deal with the UK while meeting visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has vaunted the UK's ability to seal its own alliances post-Brexit.

While London's "preference is that we have a bilateral trade agreement", it does not "rule anything out", Environment Minister George Eustice told Sky News when asked if it would consider joining an existing trade pact between the US, Mexico and Canada.

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) came into effect last year, replacing the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Mr Johnson had downplayed hopes for a quick deal before meeting Mr Biden at the White House, telling The Sun tabloid as he travelled to Washington that "Joe has a lot of fish to fry".

At their meeting, Mr Biden said the deal that Britain is pushing for was "continuing to be discussed".

Britain's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had reportedly raised stalled negotiations with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when they met in New York on Sept20. "We still very much hope to be able to put together an agreement with the US", Mr Eustice said, while admitting: "It's just not been a priority for the US administration."

Mr Johnson told Sky News in the US on Sept 21 that Britain was "going to go as fast as we can" while refusing to commit himself to securing a deal by the next general election in 2024.

Mr Eustice said that the UK was "not putting timescales" on a deal, while it would ideally like to secure this before the next election.

"There's not a particular rush to do that. With any trade agreement it's better to get the details in the agreement right, rather than being in a rush," he said.

US Democratic Senator Brendan Boyle tweeted: "About 30 per cent of US trade is with Canada and Mexico. China accounts for another 13 per cent. As for the UK, it is 2.5 per cent, the same as Taiwan, Vietnam, and India. So when some are confused why a trade deal with the UK is not a high priority, now you know." AFP