US says a UK trade deal ‘unlikely’ before November

America’s top trade negotiator has said a deal with the UK is unlikely before the US presidential election in November. Ambassador Robert Lighthizer’s comments come as the two countries embark on a second round of negotiations. Among the issues complicating the talks are disagreements over US agriculture exports and UK taxes on tech companies. “There are very, very fundamental issues that we have to come to grips with,” Mr Lighthizer said. “I don’t want anyone to think this is going to be a rollover.”

The two countries, which exchange £230bn worth of trade each year, started a second round of talks on Monday, after opening formal negotiations last month. Mr Lighthizer told Congress that the US is looking for a comprehensive deal – not a more limited agreement of the kind it has settled for in other instances. He said he expected to push for access to the UK market for American farmers, describing many of the standards that limit US food exports – such as those regarding chlorinated chicken – as “thinly veiled protectionism”.

The two sides have yet to agree on any part of a deal, Mr Lighthizer said. He said he hoped to resolve some issues this week, but other matters – some of which depend on what comes out of UK talks with the European Union – will take longer to negotiate. In a 180-page document setting out the UK’s objectives in March, ministers said they hoped to lower trade barriers faced by British car manufacturers, ceramics makers and producers of products such as cheddar cheese.

Members of the US Congress on Wednesday sought assurance that a deal would include conditions to maintain the Good Friday Agreement, a position Mr Lighthizer said President Donald Trump supported. Mr Lighthizer also repeated the administration’s threat to respond to unilateral taxes on tech companies with tariffs, like the ones the UK introduced this spring.

This month, his office launched an investigation into the digital services taxes in 10 jurisdictions, including the UK. The move is the first step in a process that could lead to retaliation. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has been overseeing multilateral talks aimed at reaching an international consensus for how to handle taxing online activity.

Source: BBC