Cabinet ministers have continued talks with the EU’s trade commissioner amid leaks of a mooted UK-EU agreement on “free and open trade” in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister in charge of EU negotiations, met with the EU’s Maros Sefcovic in London.
Mr Sefcovic called it a “productive exchange on securing balanced trade relationships” ahead of a major summit in May.
“We discussed the state of international trade and the road ahead,” he said.
Mr Thomas-Symonds said the talks were to “review progress” ahead of the summit.
The Government has insisted Britain will not have to “choose” between Europe and America.
A draft joint statement, being drawn up by London and Brussels ahead of the summit, is said to outline “shared principles of maintaining global economic stability”.
The document reportedly says: “We confirmed our shared principles of maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade.”
It adds that both sides would “continue working on how we can mitigate the impact of fluctuations in the global economic order” and commits the UK and Brussels to “multilateralism”.
The draft is also said to refer to “keeping the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C within reach”.
It is understood to make no explicit mention of the US President, though its wording appears to go against Mr Trump’s commitment to trade restrictions.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Government rejects the premise that it must choose between our European and American allies.”
The summit in May is to be hosted by the UK and will be seen as a critical moment in the Government’s drive to to reset post-Brexit relations with Brussels.
It comes as the UK continues to seek a carve-out with the US that would mitigate the impact of Mr Trump’s sweeping 10% tariffs on goods entering America.
Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly rejected suggestions that the UK will need to choose between partnerships with Europe or America, saying the national interest “demands that we work with both”.
But ministers have signalled Britain will need to look to strengthen trading ties with other countries following Mr Trump’s introduction of import taxes.
The UK-EU summit is scheduled to take place on May 19.
