Joe Biden has shelved plans for a pact with Britain that could have paved the way for a full post-Brexit trade deal.

The US president has decided not to move forward with a “foundational” agreement prepared by the US Trade Representative’s Office, that would have included negotiations over 11 areas of trade and regulation, following opposition from his own party in the Senate.

Senate Democrats argued that it would not have provided sufficient protection for American workers, Politico reported.

The UK’s hopes for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US date from before the Brexit referendum, and faced an early setback when Barack Obama told voters that Britain would be “at the back of the queue” for a deal if it left the EU.

But despite US support for an FTA in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2016, the chance of a deal has now fallen to “zero” under Mr Biden, the Government believes.

  • theinspectorst@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    43
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    If only there was something we could do to give us more clout in these trade negotiations. Like - hear me out - if we could club together with a bunch of other friendly mid-sized economies and negotiate collectively with Washington on that basis.

    • FMT99@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      7 months ago

      But then we’d have to rename British sausages to emulsified offal tubes. The public won’t have it.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      7 months ago

      Of course if we did that we wouldn’t need to negotiate with Washington.

      It’s not actually a good economic partner it’s miles away why would we trade with them when there is a perfectly convenient continent about half an hour across the ocean?

      • FatLegTed@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        You mean The Channel. Its not big enough to be an ocean, you can even swim it!

    • catch22@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      I think you might be on to something. It could also possibly allow for the ability to pass regulations on predatory practices by big tech.

      Awww who am I kidding, that’s a fantasy land, maybe if the UK allows companies to pump more sewage into the waterways America will want to trade then.

      • Paddzr@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        Unironically , it might just got stronger.

        If only we could invest into ourselves instead of importing dangerous shit.

    • FatLegTed@feddit.uk
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      You mean like the continent next door to us, mainland Europe?

      That’s a bit far-fetched isn’t it?