UK 'first in line' for US trade deal post-Brexit

Brexit | | MIC Customs Solutions |

The US still wants Britain to be its primary ally after Brexit, John Bolton has said.


The US wants to negotiate a trade deal with the UK as soon as possible after Brexit, a White House official has said.

President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said the US is supporting a no-deal Brexit and wants an accelerated series of trade agreements on a "sector-by-sector" basis.

He suggested the US may focus on striking bilateral deals on sectors like manufacturing and car-making first, before going on to focus on more complex areas later.

In a clear reference to comments former US president Barack Obama made about the UK going to the back of the queue in terms of trade should it leave the EU without a deal, Mr Bolton said: "To be clear, in the Trump administration, Britain's constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say. We want to move very quickly. We wish we could have moved further along in this with the prior government."

The comments came after Mr Bolton met new prime minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street. Mr Johnson is expected to meet Mr Trump at the G7 summit in France later this month.