WASHINGTON (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it clear to President Joe Biden on Saturday that he was eager to reach a new US-UK trade agreement.
The push for a new agreement was in an extensive call between the two leaders who touched on the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the Biden government that announced this week that the US will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. . , according to a statement from Downing Street.
A new trade agreement between the allies is a higher priority for Johnson than for Biden. At the beginning of the month after the end of a transition period after Brexit, the UK regained control of its national trade policy.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the government has no timeline for a new trade deal, as Biden’s focus is largely on getting the coronavirus pandemic under control and pushing Congress to oust the president. to pass $ 1.9 billion coronavirus rescue plan.
Janet Yellen, nominee for Biden’s treasury secretary, also said earlier this week during her confirmation hearing that Biden was not keen on negotiating new trade agreements.
“President Biden was clear that he would not sign any new free trade agreements until the US made major investments in American workers and our infrastructure,” Yellen said.
Downing Street said on Saturday that Biden and Johnson “discussed the benefits of a potential free trade agreement between our two countries”, and Johnson “reiterated his intention to resolve existing trade issues as soon as possible”.
The White House said in its own statement that the two leaders spoke on combating climate change, COVID-19, and ensuring global health security as well as shared foreign policy priorities in China, Iran and Russia. In the statement, in particular, no discussion of trade is mentioned.
The call with Johnson was at least Biden’s third call with a foreign counterpart since Friday. The president spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Friday night.