Daily US Times: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU have both warned that they are unlikely to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by the deadline on Sunday.
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, said no deal was the most probable end to “difficult” Brexit talks.
Mr Johnson argued the EU needed to make a “big change” over the main sticking points on business competition rules and fishing rights.
The Sunday deadline was set by Mr Johnson and Mr Leyen after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.
If a trade deal is not reached and ratified by both sides by 31 December, the EU and UK could impose taxes – tariffs – on each other’s goods.
This could lead to higher prices, among other changes.
On Fridaym Mr Johnson chaired a meeting in Downing Street with Cabinet Officer minister Michael Gove and senior officials to carry out a “stock-take” of plans for a no-deal scenario, a No 10 official said.
There was “no sign of much genuine movement to avert no deal”, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said.
With talks continuing, the European Union is determined to prevent the United Kingdom from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets, while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.
TRhe EU also warned that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.
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