UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called on the international community to reduce trade tariffs and quotas, declaring his government's commitment to global free trade and stating that the United Kingdom will protect the National Health Service (NHS) and food standards in a future trade deal with the United States
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2020) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called on the international community to reduce trade tariffs and quotas, declaring his government's commitment to global free trade and stating that the United Kingdom will protect the National Health Service (NHS) and food standards in a future trade deal with the United States.
Speaking in Greenwich, the prime minister made reference to the UK's history of promoting global trade without barriers or quotas. In reference to the US, Johnson stated that the UK should move forward to forge stronger trade relations with Washington.
"We will get going with our friends in America, and I share the optimism of President Trump and I say to all the naive and juvenile anti-Americans in this country, if there are any, and there seem to be some, I say grow up. Get a grip. The US already buys one-fifth of everything we export," Johnson said.
However, the prime minister stated that the US should revise its policy of placing restrictive trade tariffs and quotas on certain goods, making specific reference to Scottish whiskey, which was one of the products the US slapped tariffs on in October after the EU provided generous subsidies to the European aircraft maker Airbus.
As trade negotiations with the US intensify in the post-Brexit era, UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused Johnson of wanting to sell off the NHS to US private health care companies, or import chlorinated chicken from the US, which falls short of UK food standards. Johnson refuted these claims.
"It goes without saying that the NHS is not on the table, and we will not accept any diminution in food, hygiene or animal welfare standards," Johnson said.
Additionally, the prime minister stepped up his calls to create a "global Britain" by engaging with partners across the world.
"We will engage with Japan and other Trans-Pacific agreement countries, with old friends and partners - Australia, New Zealand, Canada, on whom we deliberately turned our backs in the 1970s," Johnson remarked.
The UK will also look to forge a strong, mutually beneficial economic relationship with the European Union in the post-Brexit era, although the prime minister stressed that London will not make any concessions to Brussels on issues related to competition, welfare spending and environmental standards.
The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on Friday, completing a protracted three and a half year process that began with the Brexit referendum in June 2016. The UK now has until the end of a transition period that ends on December 31 to conduct a number of agreements with the EU, including a free trade deal.
