Johnson Dream of a U.K.-U.S. Trade Deal Hits Biden Reality Check
- Even if Biden signed on, timeline challenges would be daunting
- Key U.S. legislative deadlines of April, July make it unlikely
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Joe Biden’s election is serving up a rude reality check for U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s desire to quickly close a trade deal with the U.S., a project that has until now depended heavily on the whims of President Donald Trump.
After five rounds of formal negotiations, both sides insist they have made good progress on what would be the U.K.’s second-biggest post-Brexit trade deal, eclipsed only by the pact with the European Union that it’s departing. There are even some discussions of having a further formal round of talks before Trump leaves the White House in January, according to people close to the negotiations.