LONDON: Britain said Wednesday it will hold a series of talks with the United States, as it seeks to pin down a long-awaited trade deal with the world's biggest economy after Brexit.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Britain's International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will hold discussions in Baltimore on March 21-22 and in the UK in the coming weeks, the government said in a statement.
The dialogues "will explore how the United States and United Kingdom can collaborate to advance mutual international trade priorities rooted in our shared values", it added.
London has negotiated a host of international trade deals since formally leaving the European Union on January 1, 2021, but a deal with Washington has so far proved elusive.
The talks come after US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year adopted a new "Atlantic Charter".
Trade between the close allies stands at approximately £200 billion ($261 billion, 238 billion euros) a year.
"I am pleased to welcome Secretary Trevelyan to Baltimore later this month as we begin an open-minded and deep discussion on how we can advance smarter and more strategic trade between our two countries," said Tai in the statement.
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"The United Kingdom is one of our oldest and most trusted allies, and our partnership is rooted in shared values and priorities."
Trevelyan added that the pair would focus on "how the UK and US can use trade intelligently in the modern global economy" while deepening trade links.
"I look forward to welcoming Ambassador Tai to the UK later this spring," she said.
A free trade deal between London and Washington has long been regarded as a key prize of Brexit.
However, it has yet to be realised more than five years after Britons voted to leave the European Union, not least because of wrangling over post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.
Washington, and notably Irish-American US President Joe Biden, has warned London that a trade deal would be unlikely if its opposition to the so-called protocol threatened a US-brokered peace deal in the province.
Last June, Britain and the US agreed to suspend retaliatory tariffs levied during a lengthy dispute over state aid for European plane-maker Airbus and US rival Boeing.
They also agreed to suspend retaliatory tariffs on products including Scotch whisky.
The two nations are also in negotiations to resolve their differences over tariffs on steel and aluminium.
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