Donald Trump’s top security adviser has said the UK will be “first in line” for a trade deal with the US post-Brexit.
The president’s national security adviser John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and pledged Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals if the UK pursued the same option.
Mr Bolton, who completed a second day of trade talks in London yesterday, claimed deals could be done on a “sector-by-sector” basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.
Mr Bolton said: “The main purpose of the visit really is to convey President Trump’s desire to see a successful exit from the European Union for the United Kingdom on October 31, to offer to be of help in any way that we can, and to express his hope we can have a fully comprehensive bilateral trade agreement with the UK as soon as possible.”
He added: “To be clear, in the Trump administration, Britain’s constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say.”
“You could do it sector by sector, you could do it in a modular fashion, in other words. You could carve out some areas where it might be possible to reach a bilateral agreement very quickly, very straightforwardly”, he said.
“That would then lock that in and, when the other areas that might be more difficult were concluded later, you could combine it in one overall agreement. So the objective is either one document or a series of agreements that would be comprehensive.
“In order to expedite things and enhance the possibility for increasing the trade and investments between the two countries, doing it in a sector-by-sector approach or some other approach that the trade negotiators might agree with, we are open to that.”
He later tweeted: “I had a great meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday.
“We discussed trade, security, and opportunities to deepen our bilateral relationship after the UK leaves the EU. The US and UK are on course for an unprecedented partnership.”
