EU trade chief says that UK will only get a ‘bare-bones’ trade deal or a no-deal Brexit next year

LONDON Nov 20: The EU’s trade chief says Boris Johnson will only get a “bare-bones” trade deal with the EU next year, or none at all.

The prime minister has insisted that the UK will leave the EU in January and says there is “bags of time” to wrap up negotiations for a comprehensive new trade deal by December 2020.

But Sabine Weyand, the EU’s Director-General for Trade, said there wasn’t enough time to strike a new deal by then, leaving either a “bare-bones” deal or a hard no-deal exit, according to a Sun report.

The European Union’s trade chief has declared that Boris Johnson will only get a “bare-bones” trade deal next year – or none at all.

The prime minister has insisted that the United Kingdom will leave the EU in January next year and have time to secure a comprehensive free trade deal by the end of the transition period in December 2020.

But Sabine Weyand, the EU’s Director-General for Trade, said there was only time to negotiate a “bare-bones” deal with the UK next year, as the transition period will give negotiators less than 12 months of talks.

The other alternative, Weyand said, is a no-deal Brexit exit at the end of the transition period.