Donald Trump hails ‘fantastic’ Boris Johnson as the ‘right man’ to deliver Brexit as he promises ‘huge’ trade deal
DONALD Trump has hailed "fantastic" trade talks with Boris Johnson over breakfast at the G7 this morning - and claimed the US want to get a deal done in just a year.
As the pair held discussions today on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, the President promised a "huge deal" would happen "quickly" after the UK throws off the "anchor" of Brussels, and praised the new PM as the "right man" to deliver Brexit.
And speaking to the media after discussions with the US President, he claimed that "full of beans" Mr Trump was ambitious that a deal could be reached in just a year.
But Boris played it down, saying he wanted to take time to make sure a wide-reaching agreement was signed.
He said this lunchtime: "I think the Americans are very ambitious to do a deal as fast as possible.
"What we are saying to them is, yes we want to go fast, and we share their optimism and their enthusiasm, but we want it to be a big and comprehensive free trade deal.
"We have got to do beyond trade in goods and agriculture - those are quite limited.
"They want to do it within a year, I'd love to do it within a year, but that's a very fast timetable."
"We will get a great deal but it may take some time."
As Boris and Trump cemented the special relationship between the UK and America, marking a new age between the two nations:
- Boris was cautious about "obstacles" ahead of any deal but said a big agreement was on the cards
- And BoJo asked him to open up America to Melton Mowbray pork pies and slash red tape on other goods in any post-Brexit trade deal
- The new PM had dinner with six other world leaders last night as he made his debut on the world stage
- And he told the EU's Donald Tusk today that the UK isn't legally obliged to pay them the full £39billion if we leave without a deal
- Boris reportedly took an early-morning dip in the sea before meetings began
Speaking to reporters during their breakfast chat today, where the pair joked and laughed with each other throughout, President Trump and Boris both agreed their first talks as world leaders had been "fantastic".
President Trump said: "He's is the right man for the job, I've been saying that for a long time."
And contrary to his advice to Theresa May which was to sue the EU to get a better deal, the President said of Boris: "He needs no advice."
"At some point they won’t have the obstacle, they won’t have the anchor around their ankle because that is what they had."
Boris and Trump met for a working breakfast on Sunday after being photographed on Saturday night walking and talking in the margins of the summit.
On the menu this morning was seasonal fruits and assorted pastries - and scrambled egg and veal sausages.
The bilateral talks were held in the Hotel de Palais this morning. which was built by Napoleon III for his wife Eugenie.
“You know who this is?” President Trump said, gesturing toward Boris as the pair walked down the stairs of the hotel.
“He’s going to be a fantastic prime minster.”
There are clearly huge opportunities for the UK to penetrate the American market
Boris Johnson
Boris said he expected a US/UK trade deal once “we work a couple things out.”
But "I know there will be some tough talks ahead", he added.
"I don't think we sell a single joint of British lamb in the US! We don't sell any pork pies.
"There are clearly huge opportunities for the UK to penetrate the American market.”
The dynamic between the pair is dramatically different from the relationship between the US and the UK that has dominated for the past three years under Mrs May.
The pair appear to be incredibly close as world leaders - and have spoken on the phone at least five times in the last month.
Their close friendship will be a huge boost for Britain as we leave the EU, putting us in good stead to secure a trade deal in the months and years ahead.
The President tweeted after their meeting: "Great working breakfast this morning with Prime Minister Boris Johnson!"
Boris and Trump also discussed Huawei and Iran, a White House spokesperson said.
There are clearly huge opportunities for the UK to penetrate the American market
Boris Johnson
Boris said a "fantastic" deal was on the way - but Donald Trump floated the idea of "mini deals" being signed first.
“We’re working on a very big trade deal and I think it’s going to work out,” Mr Trump added.
On the trade war with China, the President said previous presidents and administrations “allowed them to get away with taking hundreds of billions of dollars out every year, putting it into China”.
Asked if he had second thoughts on escalating the dispute he said: “Sure ... why not.”
But then he added: “I have second thoughts about everything.”
Mr Trump said he had “the right to, if I want” declare a national emergency over the issue.
But he added: “I have no plan right now, actually we are getting along very well with China right now, we are talking. I think they want to make a deal much more than I do.”
Boris insisted "we are in favour of trade peace on the whole" as he tried to calm tensions over a trade war.
On the way over to the summit the PM revealed he had set out some of Britain’s goals with the White House — and again made it clear the NHS was not up for grabs.
He said “barriers to British business” had to go to ensure any deal was right for the UK.
He also risked upsetting the US president by saying Mr Trump faced the blame for any global recession resulting from the crippling US-China trade war.
Mr Johnson spoke as he arrived in Biarritz in southern France for his first international summit as PM.
He insisted world leaders would be “working flat out” on key issues and, in typical style, said the G7 was not a “wonderful boondoggle [a US term for a wasteful project] in a posh hotel”.
Speaking about his hopes for a bumper US trade agreement, BoJo said he and Mr Trump had a productive chat on Friday evening.
He said he told him there were “massive opportunities” but only when “very considerable barriers” in the US were first overcome.
Mr Johnson said: “It’s not just beef or lamb that is currently banned from entering the US, in spite of their commitment to overturn that prohibition in 2014.
RED TAPE SEES BRIT CAULIFLOWERS BANNED FROM MIAMI
“Melton Mowbray pork pies, which are sold in Thailand and in Iceland, are currently unable to enter the US market because of . . . some sort of Food and Drug Administration restriction.”
Outlining another example, he said the sale of UK-made shower trays was restricted “because they are allegedly too low” yet 250,000 had been sold worldwide.
Reeling off a list of further frustrations, the PM added:
- RAILWAY carriage manufacturers face a 14 per cent tariff on US-bound exports yet American firms must pay only 1.7 per cent;
- UK-MADE wallpaper, pillows and other fabrics must be fire tested on arrival rather than being admitted automatically;
- CAULIFLOWERS can only enter certain ports, not Miami where UK exporters want them to go;
- ENGLISH wine-makers have to go through US distributors if they wish to export;
- BRITISH micro-breweries are taxed in the US but the same does not apply to American micro-breweries in the UK;
- SELLING insurance in the UK requires chats with two regulators but 50 in America, and;
- PROCUREMENT rules ban the US military from buying British stationery — such as rulers or tape measures — yet US firms face no such restrictions in Britain.
Boris went on: “There are massive opportunities for UK companies to open up, to prise open the American market. We intend to seize those opportunities but they’re going to require our American friends to compromise and open up their approach. Currently there are too many restrictions.”
One insider said Mr Johnson’s comments were designed to trash Labour claims that he was Mr Trump’s poodle — and that a trade deal would wreck UK PLC.
Mr Johnson again ruled out any access to the NHS for US firms as part of the deal — amid concerns in Tory ranks that it could become a central plank of Labour’s attack strategy in any upcoming election.
The PM said: “It goes without saying that there are sectors of the UK economy . . . completely off limits. We will not allow the NHS to be on the table at all.”
He also said the tariff war between the US and China could tip Britain and Germany into recession and pointed out it had left UK whisky industry facing an extra £1.1billion in export levies.
BoJo and Mr Trump are expected to sign a “road map” to a deal and, next month, shake hands on the “heads of terms” at the UN General Assembly in New York. The move will set out the work both sides intend to carry out over the next year.
Ahead of their face-to-face talks at the G7, Mr Johnson said it was “the most important thing” for any PM to have a “very close friendly relationship with our most important ally”.
Mr Trump is expected to take centre stage at the talks despite French president Emmanuel Macron’s wish to revive the Iranian nuclear deal and get tough with Brazil over the Amazon.
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