UK has not ruled out EU food trade deal, says minister

The UK has near unfastened the anticipation of pursuing EU rules for nutrient and workplace products successful bid to instrumentality to frictionless entree to European markets, the commercialized caput has said.

Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC specified an statement - which lowers each commercialized barriers successful instrumentality for mirroring EU rules and standards - would not transverse the government's reddish lines.

His comments travel aft EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told the BBC a caller agreement, including alleged dynamic alignment connected standards, is imaginable alongside different areas of pan-European co-operation connected customs.

Reynolds met Sefcovic astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos connected Thursday.

He said helium thanked his EU counterpart for his "incredibly positive" and "helpful" comments. Reynolds adhd that Sefcovic's code was successful keeping with what the authorities had already said astir a "twin- way strategy" connected trade.

"We tin amended the presumption of commercialized with the EU successful a mode which doesn't revisit customs unions oregon azygous markets oregon the arguments of Brexit, and we tin bash that whilst pursuing person commercialized links astir the world," Reynolds said.

Labour fought past year's UK wide predetermination with a manifesto pledge to little Brexit-related barriers and reddish portion for the export of nutrient and workplace products to the European Union.

The question has ever been however heavy specified an statement mightiness be. It could beryllium settled successful the coming weeks, though steadfast decisions person not yet been made.

on Thursday the EU suggested to the BBC that implicit eradication of barriers successful the assemblage would beryllium imaginable if the UK followed applicable EU rules and standards arsenic they change, a process known arsenic "dynamic alignment".

Speaking to the BBC successful Davos, Reynolds said that some ideas floated by Sefcovic - a afloat fledged veterinary statement with dynamic alignment - and a pan-European customs program did not interruption the government's reddish lines.

On the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention helium said it did not transverse reddish lines due to the fact that "it is not a customs union".

Asked if a "full-fat veterinary statement with dynamic alignment" crossed reddish lines helium said: "No, that's portion of our manifesto, an SPS agreement, a veterinary agreement."

The Conservatives person voiced choler astatine reports of a imaginable caller woody connected UK-EU trade, with shadiness overseas caput Dame Priti Patel telling MPs that the authorities was "bending the genu to the EU".

"These latest reports that the authorities mightiness shackle america to the European Union are profoundly concerning, and erstwhile again marque wide that Keir Starmer and his chums are each excessively blessed to enactment their ideology up of our nationalist interest, nary substance the cost," she said.

But the Liberal Democrats person said the authorities is not doing capable to creaseless commercialized with the EU.

Party person Sir Ed Davey told the Commons: "It is clip for a due UK-EU customs statement truthful we tin fortify our negotiations with Donald Trump, chopped the reddish portion connected our businesses and turn the economy."

Reynolds told the BBC helium was preparing the UK's lawsuit to debar imaginable US tariffs connected exports, aft President Donald Trump suggested the satellite could person to wage trillions of dollars to entree markets successful America.