Brexit LIVE: UK and US close to major trade deal – Race against time before Biden arrives – Daily Express

Brexit deal has 'smashed people's dreams' says fishing boss

Bloomberg reports that a deal was set to be announced in a matter before days before Trump protestors stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday night. It is understood the US and the UK were racing to reach a limited trade agreement before the political crisis in Washington.This blog is no longer live, please follow here for the latest updates.

The deal would end tariffs on some UK imports, including on Scotch Whisky.

The goal between both sides, however, is to resolve parts of a longstanding transatlantic dispute over illegal aid toBoeing Co.andAirbus SE.

Sources told Bloomberg the deal should have been struck but the chaos surrounding the riots in Capitol Hill has put a spanner in the works.

And UK officials are in a rush to push it through before Joe Biden takes the White House.

The Biden administration will be battling with other issues to do with the transition.

It comes as Mr Johnson had a phone call with 250 business leaders to help him decide which EU rules to keep and which to ditch now that Britain has finally left the EU.

Downing Street said in a statement that Mr Johnson was committed to working with British businesses to realise the vast opportunities on offer as the UK forges an independent future.

Mr Johnson was joined on the call yesterday by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Business Secretary Alok Sharma, and Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

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10pm update: Gove warns traders to prepare for significant additional disruption at the border

Traders have been warned that there is likely to be significant additional disruption at the UK border in the coming weeks following Brexit customs changes.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove assured traders and hauliers that efforts to assist them would be redoubled but highlighted that all paperwork should be in order.

It comes as major parcel courier DPD paused some delivery services into Europe - including Ireland - because of pressure caused by new post-Brexit red tape.

7.15pm update:Brexit fury: Switzerland anger after EU 'took Swiss hostage'

Brexit trading relations with the EU could take a turn for the worse if the UK endures similar disagreements with Brussels as Switzerland.

Prime MinisterBoris Johnsonwas eventually able to secure aBrexittrade deal with theEU, and boasted that it will help Britain take control of its borders, laws and waters.

But one key issue could come back to bite the UK, just as it did Switzerland during their negotiations with the EU over an institutional framework agreement.

Negotiations for the partnership began in 2014, but still Bern and Brussels continue to work together on only a patchwork of treaties.

Tensions were high in January 2018, when Switzerland's financial services sector was "taken hostage" by the EU.

All political parties in the country united to stand against Brussels after EU regulation dictated that Switzerland must accept rulings by EU judges as the condition for services access to the single market.

6pm update:EU preparing to seize on UK finance centre in Brexit punishment

The EU could "put the squeeze" on the UK as they no longer "tolerate" Britain being Europe's "financial centre", a Conservative peer has warned.

Britain's position as the "financial centre for theEuropean Union" despite leaving the bloc is going to be under threat, aConservativepeer has warned.

Lord Horam was addressing the House of Lords explaining why he thought theBrexitdeal was "not a good [one]" for the UK.

He also claimed the country could see a "pretty serious" hit on the financial services industry.

Lord Horam told peers: "Like most of us I imagine, I was relieved in the end that there was the deal.

"But I am afraid it is not a good deal for the UK.

"The European Union gets all it wants on trade and we get nothing on services which we all now know relentlessly are 80 percent of our economy.

"That could be pretty serious for our financial services industry."

4.00pm update:Brexit deal to leave UK taxpayers STILL paying into EU budget

Brexit Britain is not as independent as Boris Johnson promised it would be when he vowed to deliver an "oven-ready" Brexit deal with the EU, a political expert has claimed.

Speaking to DW, political scientist Tanja Borzel claimed Boris Johnson has failed to deliver on his promise to "take back control" as she analysed theBrexitdeal the Prime Minister has signed with the EU in December.

Ms Borzel argued that as the UK will still be forced to comply with some EU laws and to pay into the Brussels annual budget, Britain is yet to be independent from the bloc.

She said: "Boris Johnson has not delivered because he promised that Britain would take back control and I don't see that Britain has actually taken back control."

2.09pm update:Retailers in Northern Ireland 'experiencing disruption after Brexit'

Major retailers into Northern Ireland - including M&S and Tesco - have experienced temporary disruption while they adapt to post-Brexit arrangements, the industry said.

Marks and Spencer has paused delivery of a small proportion of product lines to ensure its lorries are not turned away at ports like Belfast or Larne.

There may be less choice but firms are working hard to continue to provision the country, a representative of most major supermarkets said.

Customs declarations need to be made for many items arriving in Northern Ireland.

An M&S spokesman said: "We have served customers in Northern Ireland for over 50 years and our priority is to make sure we continue to deliver the same choice and great quality range that our loyal customers have always enjoyed.

"Stores have been receiving regular deliveries this week, however following the UK's recent departure from the EU, we are transitioning to new processes and we're working closely with our partners and suppliers to ensure customers can continue to enjoy a great range of products."

1.20pm update:Brexit revenge plot: UK braces for border chaos as Macron 'reads riot act'- details leaked

UK hauliers have been warned tougher customs controls will be implemented from Monday, prompting fears of significant disruption at the borders. French officials are expected to ramp up checks after lorries arriving from the UK were found not to be fully compliant with EU trade rules, particularly on phytosanitary (SPS) controls on agrifoods.

The warnings were made during two conference calls between British industry bodies and UK Government agencies on Thursday, according to the Financial Times.

The paper reports the French had read the riot act to port and ferry operations after initial checks showed the vast majority of lorries arriving from the UK breached EU trade rules.

As a result UK trade groups and senior Whitehall officials are braced for more rigorous checks next week.

One senior UK official said the government was holding its breath for more significant disruption at British ports in the coming days.

12.30pm update: Fury as Brexit deal with EU forces UK pay billions into Eurocrat pension pots for 44 YEARS

Brexit does not mean Britains financial contribution to the EU is over, with taxpayers facing the prospect of paying 10billion into the blocs pension pot over the course of the next 44 years, a shocking new analysis has indicated.

And among those who will benefit are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker, EU negotiator Michel Barnier and ardent Brexit critic Guy Verhofstadt - with former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib describing the situation as a travesty.

The analysis, prepared by the Facts4EU.org website, uses figures published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in 2018 to show that the UKs contribution will be at least 9.5billion.

However, since then the European Commissions financial accounts for 2019 show a 15.5billion (17.2billion) increase in the net liabilities of its pension scheme.

11.51am update:Belgium desperate for post-Brexit trade with UK

Belgium has stated its intention to negotiate a trade deal with the UK as countries around the world quickly line up to do business with Brexit Britain.

Departing the EU means the UK is free to negotiate new and improved trade deals with countries around the world, with dozens already in place with the likes of Japan, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland.

Negotiations with the likes of Canada and Australia are in progress, while talks with the US are expected to resume this year as Joe Biden takes over from Donald Trump as President.

But just a week after Brexit was completed, Belgium has said it wants to negotiate a series of bilateral agreements with the UK, as permitted by the terms of the trade deal between the EU and Britain.

The historic agreement enables the remaining 27 EU member states to conclude deals with the UK within the framework of shared competences with Brussels.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said avoiding a no-deal outcome by concluding a zero tariff, zero quota trade agreement is an "excellent thing for Belgium, which has traditionally had a trade surplus vis--vis the United Kingdom".

11am update: Parcel courier warns of post-Brexit delays

A major parcel courier has paused some delivery services into Europe - including Ireland - because of pressure caused by new post-Brexit red tape.

DPD became the latest company to warn that Boris Johnson's divorce settlement with Brussels had led to more complex processes at the border.

DPD said that up to 20 percent of parcels had incorrect or incomplete data, meaning they had to be returned to customers, and announced a pause to its road service into Europe and Ireland until Wednesday.

The company said in a statement: "The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement resulted in more complex processes, and additional customs data requirements for parcels destined for Europe. This, along with delays and congestion at UK ports for channel crossings, has placed extra pressure on our turnaround and transit times.

"We are seeing up to 20 percent of parcels with incorrect or incomplete data attached, resulting in these parcels needing to be returned to customers, so that the required data can be provided.

"In view of this unprecedented set of circumstances we believe that it is only right to pause and review our road service into Europe, including the Republic of Ireland. During this time, we will work with our customers to validate and correct the data we have in our system, to reduce the delays and enable us to resume normal service.

This pause in our operation will be as short as possible and we intend to recommence this service on Wednesday January 13."

10.22am update: 'EU caved on Brexit' after Merkel panicked about 80bn trade surplus and 'stepped in'

The European Union has been furiously attacked for its Brexit talks with the UK, with Angela Merkel accused of being terrified about a potential 80billion trade surplus and piling the pressure on Brussels to avoid a disastrous no-deal outcome for Germany.

A hard Brexit would have cost the EU as much as 33billion in annual exports, according to economic research by insurer Allianz in November, with Germany, home to the bloc's biggest economy and fourth-largest in the world, among those hit the hardest.

Charles-Henri Gallois, President of the political movement Generation Frexit, campaigning for France to become one of the next countries to leave the bloc, branded the EU a "total disaster".

He believes the huge 80billion trade surplus should have seen the EU pushing for a Brexit deal right from the start, but raged Brussels had "acted like a sect that wants to punish the member that wants to take back his freedom".

Mr Gallois believes Germany was terrified of a no-deal outcome, forcing them to pile late pressure onto Brussels to strike an agreement, which ultimately saw the bloc's negotiators cave in.

9.49am update:High numbers of vehicles refused at UK-French ports due to incorrect paperwork

A high number of vehicles travelling from Britain to France have been refused entry or delayed due to having the incorrect paperwork after Brexit, logistics group DFDS said on Friday.

Trade flows between Britain and the European Union have remained low this week after many companies stockpiled goods in late 2020 to avoid having to cross the new customs border in the first week after Britain left the EU's orbit on Dec. 31.

DFDS said on Twitter: "We are experiencing a high volume of vehicles being refused and delayed at the Ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Dover, due to incorrect paperwork being presented at check-in."

9.15am update: UK borders may become busier in days and weeks to come

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said "busy times" may return to UK borders as firms get to grips with new paperwork after the exit from the EU single market.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The Cabinet Office is working very closely with businesses. It's not the case that goods are stopping flowing.

"I was studying, as I do by the hour at the moment, the flow at Kent and it's been picking up every single day of this year so far and you're seeing goods crossing the short straits and flowing perfectly smoothly."

But he was pressed on whether pressures at the border will build because currently firms are avoiding it.

Mr Shapps said: "It's been a quieter start to the year, a lot of that's to do with anticipations, so the stockpiling that's going on."

He added that the chaos seen last month while the post-Brexit transition period was still in place was due to the French closing the border because of concerns over the UK strain of coronavirus and was "nothing to do with the change of paperwork".

"We may well see busy times again but actually at the moment the border is in fact flowing and it's flowing very smoothly," he said.

8.26am update: Boris told to use new Brexit powers to BAN EU supertrawlers

Boris Johnson must use the new Brexit powers available to the UK following the departure from the European Union to ban monster supertrawlers from the bloc plundering British seas, the latest Express.co.uk poll has revealed.

In the latest Express.co.uk poll, readers voted for Mr Johnson to use these new powers to ban huge supertrawlers from the bloc plundering British waters and hoovering up fish in those seas.

The poll, which ran from 3pm on Thursday January 7 until 7am on Friday January 8, asked: "What should Boris Johnson use new powers for after leaving EU?"

The options were available to readers were: Ban EU supertrawlers; VAT cuts on household energy bills; give UK science a huge cash boost through state aid; sign huge free trade deals; toughen UK borders; "don't know" and "other".

Forty-four percent or 2,291 of the 5,168 readers that voted said Mr Johnson should ban EU supertrawlers in British waters, while 28 percent (1,405 readers) would like the Prime Minister to toughen the country's borders and make it a safer country.

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Brexit LIVE: UK and US close to major trade deal - Race against time before Biden arrives - Daily Express