MOSCOW _ If the U.K. is to make a success of Brexit as Prime Minister Theresa May vows, it's going to have to strike a string of trade deals with partners around the globe.
Whether it can was thrown into question last week by Ivan Rogers, who resigned as the U.K.'s ambassador to the European Union with a warning that "contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen."
The U.K.'s commercial trade links with the other 27 nations of the EU will be the subject of heated debate once May triggers formal divorce talks sometime before April. May says she wants the "best possible deal," but negotiations may be hindered by her ambitions on immigration, laws and the budget.
As for arrangements with nations outside the EU, the U.K. government's ability to seal deals with them is for the moment limited by Britain's membership in Europe's customs union. That's because the EU currently lines up accords on behalf of members, all of which agree to impose the same tariff regime.
Still, following June's referendum, May's government has already established working groups with some counterparts to get the ball rolling. Some countries are warning though that doing deals with the EU will remain their priority over engaging with the U.K.
Bloomberg reporters conducted interviews and reviewed public comments for a sense of where other major trade partners now stand on their future trading ties with Britain.
