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US-EU trade deal requires more work, says former British ambassador to Russia

"As for the EU-US agreement, there’s probably more work to be done," Tony Brenton said

LONDON, July 30. /TASS/. The US-EU trade agreement which imposes 15% duties on exports from the European Union to the United States needs more work, former British ambassador to Moscow (2004-2008) Tony Brenton told TASS.

"As for the EU-US agreement, there’s probably more work to be done. You never seem to reach the ultimate point, there’s constantly a need for rearrangement and more negotiations. And that’s where we seem to be between the EC and the US at the moment," the ex-diplomat said.

As an example, he cited the situation with similar negotiations between the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.

"The process with Japan is at the beginning. My impression is that there’s still a particular issue about steel exports to the United States, which needs to be sorted out. You can’t do it in a couple of months, which in effect everybody is trying to do in response to [US President Donald] Trump’s 'liberation day.' There will always be details to be sorted out," Brenton said.

The former ambassador to Moscow did not agree with the statements of supporters of Britain's exit from the EU that the "divorce" with Brussels helped London agree more favorable terms of a trade deal with Washington.

"I don’t agree with this. I think that the cost of Brexit was sufficiently high," Brenton said. "There is a trade war between the EU and the United States. If they are able to solve the current difficulties, then this is not by itself enough to demonstrate that Brexit was a good idea."

The US and the EU agreed that the duty on all European goods imported into the United States would stand at 15%, while the EU would not levy any tariffs on American goods.

Prior to this, the Trump administration said it would impose new trade duties on all EU exports in the amount of 30%. Trump called the agreements reached with the European Union the "largest" in history.

The Taxpayers Association of Europe called the prospects of approval of the deal by all 27 EU member states questionable. For example, Germany, France, and Hungary criticized the agreement.

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