First Brexit trade deal with US on the brink of completion - and SIX more on the way

BRITAIN remains on track to sign the first of its US trade deals within the next two weeks.

Penny Mordaunt discusses post-Brexit UK-US trade deal

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is finalising a deal with the state of Indiana that will help to scrap bureaucratic red tape and boost jobs. It is the first of seven pacts with individual states set to be signed off in the coming months.

Express.co.uk first reported on the Indiana plans last month.

A deal with Texas is also in the works and could be done by October.

Ms Trevelyan confirmed plans to turbo-charge trade with the US were set to take off in the next fortnight when speaking to The Sun.

"State-by-state we are doing all sorts," she said.

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The first US trade deal is set to be completed in the next two weeks

The first US trade deal is set to be completed in the next two weeks (Image: PA)

"We've got some really good discussions going on.

"Watch this space."

The Government moved to aiming for a series of smaller deals signed with states in order to get around the reluctance of President Joe Biden to negotiate a full free trade agreement with Britain.

Washington threatened not to hold talks with the UK until Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped attempting to renegotiate the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU.

He has repeatedly warned the Government's Brexit actions risk undermining the Good Friday Agreement.

However, despite President Biden's threats, the US has publicly admitted it has no plans to do a trade deal with any country at a national level until the economic situation caused by Covid and the Ukraine war is under control.

Anne Marie Trevelyan is closing a deal with Indiana

Anne Marie Trevelyan is closing a deal with Indiana (Image: PA)

The UK has given up on an overall US trade deal

The UK has given up on an overall US trade deal (Image: PA)

Brushing off the President's lack of engagement on trade, Ms Trevelyan said: "The US big-picture deal is important and we'll get there when the White House has the view that they have got their domestic situation, and they want to look out again.

"In the meantime, there's loads that businesses would like us to try and sort out in terms of market access barriers.

"Governors have got authority over a number of things and they are really keen to do more business with us.

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President Biden is not signing free trade agreements with any countries at the moment

President Biden is not signing free trade agreements with any countries at the moment (Image: PA)

"Let's crack on with that. We're doing both."

Indiana currently buys $1.4billion worth of UK goods every year and is already Britain's seventh-largest export market.

It is hoped the signing of a trade deal will further boost trade.

Writing for Express.co.uk last month, Trade minister Penny Mordaunt said the deals would "cut bureaucracy, reduce costs and increase the flow of business".

She wrote: "These plans are bespoke to each state and some also reach upwards to city level.

"Ninety-three percent of the growth in the US comes from its Metro areas.

"Some will focus on specific sectors and geographies in the UK.

"We now have a pipeline of agreements."

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