On 28 February 2019, the USTR published a paper summarising its “specific negotiating objectives” for negotiating a trade agreement with the UK post-Brexit (available here). The paper starts by stating that that the US’s “aim in negotiations with the UK is to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers and to achieve fairer and deeper trade”.

The US objectives notably include:

  • greater access to the UK market for US agricultural products;
  • comprehensive duty-free access for US industrial goods;
  • provision for “enforceable and robust” sanitary and phytosanitary obligations;
  • expanding “competitive market opportunities” for US financial service suppliers;
  • UK commitments not to impose customs duties on digital products such as software, music, video and e-books;
  • guarantees that the UK will not manipulate its currency “to prevent effective balance of payments adjustment or to gain an unfair competitive advantage”.

A UK government spokesperson has responded to this announcement by stating that negotiating an “ambitious free trade agreement” with the US was a priority and that the UK would publish its own negotiating objectives in due course (as reported here).

Authors: Ross L. Denton and Sunny Mann.