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The Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Boris Johnson has cast doubt on the prospects of a trade agreement with the US under the president-elect, Joe Biden. He said a deal will not be a pushover. Johnson instead talked up the chances of close cooperation with the Biden administration on climate change, as Britain prepares to host the crucial COP26 international summit in 2021. The UK Prime Minister faces an urgent challenge to forge links with a president-elect following Biden’s victory. The British ambassador in Washington, Dame Karen Pierce is understood to be leading a drive to build links with those likely to play roles in his administration after the Biden camp refused all contacts with foreign governments during the election campaign.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab said that Johnson hoped to speak with the president-elect Joe Biden shortly. A few expect him to be first on the list of foreign leaders to speak with Biden. Point to be noted that closer trading arrangements with the US have long been cherished as one of the main benefits of leaving the EU by Brexiteers, including Johnson. The UK PM said in 2017 that Britain was first in line to do a great free trade deal with the Trump administration. But, Trump was an enthusiastic backer of both Brexit and a deal. However, Biden has been more circumspect and warned that an agreement will be off the table if the process of leaving the EU puts peace in Northern Ireland at risk.

Democrat senator Chris Coons played down the prospect of a swift deal. He informed BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show that talks on closer trade links would be one of the most important aspects of the US-UK relationship. Senator Coons said, “We’re going to have our hands full working through the pandemic now that it is surging again in both of our nations, restoring the vibrancy of our economy”. He was speaking in public for the first time since Biden’s victory. Coons said, “On the trade deal with the US, I’m a keen student of the United States’ trade policy and they’re tough negotiators. And I’ve never believed that this was going to be something that was going to be a complete pushover under any US administration”.