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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/29/us-warns-britain-it-could-face-trade-barriers-if-it-leaves-eu
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| US warns Britain: If you leave EU you face barriers to trading with America | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The United States is not keen on pursuing a separate free trade deal with Britain if it leaves the European Union, the US trade representative, Michael Froman, said – the first public comments from a senior US official on the matter. | The United States is not keen on pursuing a separate free trade deal with Britain if it leaves the European Union, the US trade representative, Michael Froman, said – the first public comments from a senior US official on the matter. |
| Voters are due to decide by the end of 2017 whether the UK should remain in the EU, and opinion polls show rising support for leaving the bloc. | Voters are due to decide by the end of 2017 whether the UK should remain in the EU, and opinion polls show rising support for leaving the bloc. |
| Related: Cameron tells anti-EU campaigners: 'Norway option' won't work for Britain | Related: Cameron tells anti-EU campaigners: 'Norway option' won't work for Britain |
| Froman’s comments on Wednesday undermine a key economic argument deployed by proponents of exit, who say Britain would prosper on its own and be able to secure bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with trading partners. | Froman’s comments on Wednesday undermine a key economic argument deployed by proponents of exit, who say Britain would prosper on its own and be able to secure bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with trading partners. |
| The US is Britain’s biggest export market after the EU, buying more than $54bn (£35bn) in goods from the UK in 2014. | The US is Britain’s biggest export market after the EU, buying more than $54bn (£35bn) in goods from the UK in 2014. |
| “I think it’s absolutely clear that Britain has a greater voice at the trade table being part of the EU, being part of a larger economic entity,” Froman told Reuters, adding that EU membership gives Britain more leverage in negotiations. | “I think it’s absolutely clear that Britain has a greater voice at the trade table being part of the EU, being part of a larger economic entity,” Froman told Reuters, adding that EU membership gives Britain more leverage in negotiations. |
| “We’re not particularly in the market for FTAs with individual countries. We’re building platforms … that other countries can join over time.“ | “We’re not particularly in the market for FTAs with individual countries. We’re building platforms … that other countries can join over time.“ |
| If Britain left the EU, Froman said, it would face the same tariffs and trade barriers as other countries outside the US free trade network. | If Britain left the EU, Froman said, it would face the same tariffs and trade barriers as other countries outside the US free trade network. |
| “We have no FTA with the UK so they would be subject to the same tariffs – and other trade-related measures – as China, or Brazil or India,” he said. | “We have no FTA with the UK so they would be subject to the same tariffs – and other trade-related measures – as China, or Brazil or India,” he said. |
| Washington has just sealed a trade deal with 11 other Pacific nations and wants to wrap up negotiations with the EU on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) by the end of next year. | Washington has just sealed a trade deal with 11 other Pacific nations and wants to wrap up negotiations with the EU on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) by the end of next year. |
| The US is Britain’s second-largest export market for vehicles outside the EU. | The US is Britain’s second-largest export market for vehicles outside the EU. |
| If Britain is not part of the EU and therefore not part of TTIP, British cars exported to the US, such as those made by Jaguar Land Rover, would face a 2.5% tariff and could be at a disadvantage to German and Italian-made competitors. | If Britain is not part of the EU and therefore not part of TTIP, British cars exported to the US, such as those made by Jaguar Land Rover, would face a 2.5% tariff and could be at a disadvantage to German and Italian-made competitors. |
| British exports of fuel and chocolate could also be at a disadvantage if TTIP abolishes tariffs on those products. | British exports of fuel and chocolate could also be at a disadvantage if TTIP abolishes tariffs on those products. |