BIDEN, JOHNSON DISCUSS ‘BENEFITS OF A POTENTIAL FREE-TRADE DEAL

U.K. PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON AND U.S. PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN STRUCK DIFFERENT TONES ON THE PROSPECTS OF A TRADE DEAL BETWEEN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES, AS JOHNSON BECAME THE FIRST EUROPEAN LEADER TO RECEIVE A PHONE CALL SINCE BIDEN’S INAUGURATION.

THE U.K. STATEMENT ON THE CALL, WHICH COVERED ISSUES SUCH AS STRENGTHENING BILATERAL TIES, COLLECTIVE DEFENSE AND FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE, ALSO MENTIONED DISCUSSIONS OF “THE BENEFITS OF A POTENTIAL FREE-TRADE DEAL BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.”

REACHING A NEW TRADE ACCORD WITH THE U.S. NOW THAT THE U.K. HAS EXITED THE EUROPEAN UNION IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR JOHNSON, WHO’S LOOKING TO RE-SHAPE BRITAIN’S GLOBAL RELATIONS AND SHOW THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A TRADE POLICY INDEPENDENT FROM THE EU. THE U.S. IS ALREADY THE U.K.’S LARGEST SINGLE-COUNTRY TRADING PARTNER, WITH TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO WORTH 221 BILLION POUNDS IN 2019.