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The
two sides have now finished their fifth round of talks aimed at
securing a trade deal which in Britain is seen as one of the big
prizes on offer after the country left the European Union in
January and began negotiating its own bilateral deals.
"Following the significant progress made in talks to date, both
sides are confident that we are on track for a comprehensive
agreement which would provide a significant and mutual benefit
to our economies," a statement from the department said.
Both Britain and United States have repeatedly talked up the
prospects of a deal, but a Nov. 3 U.S. Presidential election
which could see a change in administration has added
uncertainty.
"We believe we are in a good position to move forward after the
U.S. election," the statement said. It said a programme for
future talks had been agreed, but did not provide a date.
Britain has been forced to reject domestic criticism that a U.S.
deal would see lower food standards and the state-funded
healthcare system opened up to U.S. firms. Trade minister Liz
truss last week criticised President Donald Trump's 'America
First' economic approach.
The statement said almost all chapters of the deal were at an
advanced stage, and that a significant proportion of legal text
has been agreed across multiple chapters.
The latest round was focused on discussions on market access for
goods, including negotiations around product specific rules of
origin, which determine whether or not a product can benefit
from preferential tariffs.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Alistair Smout)
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