Donald Trump administration says US ready to build stronger post-Brexit ties with UK, EU

The United States has congratulated Britain and the European Union for reaching a trade agreement before the end of the transition phase on December 31. The White House National Security Council congratulated both UK and EU for concluding the historic Brexit deal and said that it "stands ready" to work with all and build stronger transatlantic ties. Britain and the EU announced reaching a trade agreement on the eve of Christmas after months of negotiations between London and Brussels. 

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Both sides agreed on a Brexit trade deal on December 24, just a week before the United Kingdom was scheduled to leave the European Union fully. Britain had officially exited the 28-nation bloc on January 31, 2020, following which it moved into a transition phase to negotiate a trade agreement with the EU. Britain will become free from the liability of the bloc starting January 1, 2021, onwards, meaning it will no longer have to comply with EU rules.

Read: UK Parliament To Vote On Post-Brexit Trade Deal With EU On December 30

The Brexit deal

The deal between the UK and the EU will allow free movement of goods produced by Britain and the union. This is also the “first time” that the 27-nation-bloc has agreed to a ‘zero tariffs zero quota deal’ with any other trading partner. The Brexit deal also includes the provisions to support the trade in services providing the UK with service suppliers with legal guarantees that will not face any disruptions to trade while selling into the union along with supporting British professionals who will continue their business across Europe.

Read: Brexit Deal Explained: What Is Included In UK-EU Trade Agreement As Britain Takes Control?

The agreement between the UK and the EU was being blocked on three key issues, including fishing rights, governance, and level-playing fields. Fishing rights remained a thorn till the end as Britain was not willing to allow the European fishing fleet in its waters. As per reports, UK and EU have compromised on the fisheries issue with the bloc agreeing to drop its share of the catch in the English waters by 25 percent over a period of five and a half years. The British parliament is expected to vote on the deal on December 30, while the EU will reportedly approve it for the time being and will vote on it next year because of less time for scrutiny. 

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