US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said that it is vital that the best interests of the US are protected when a post-Brexit deal is struck between the UK and the EU.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the Confederation of British Industry on Monday, Mr Ross said that he hoped the US could become the UK’s number one trading partner after Brexit, referencing existing substantial trade flows between the two countries.
He also said that US interests must be taken into account when finalising an exit deal with the EU, whatever such an agreement might look like.
“It is ... important that an eventual Brexit agreement takes into account our commercial interests, and does not hinder development of a closer post-Brexit US-UK relationship by continuing divergent standards and regulations and other protectionist measures,” he said.
Speaking about the areas that could pose problems to negotiations between the US and the UK after Brexit, Mr Ross cited continued "passporting" of financial services, compliance with EU food standards on genetically modified crops and chlorine-washed chicken, as well as future trade tariffs.
But he also said that it would not be possible to identify exact points of contention until it is clear what form a deal would take. He said that he hopes that a free trade agreement between the US and the UK would take fewer than 10 years to negotiate.
Mr Ross' speech concluded a five-day visit to the UK, during which the commerce secretary met with Prime Minister Theresa May as well as senior ministers including Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox.
His comments come a day after a massive document leak which showed that Mr Ross had been doing business with Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law through a shipping venture in Russia.
Additional reporting by news wires
