Former US President Donald Trump was a huge fan of Brexit Britain and its departure from the European Union, hinting on several occasions a wide-ranging trade deal with the UK could be imminent. But Mr Biden, who has often referred to his Irish heritage, has not spoken highly of Brexit and has been particularly critical of the UK’s management of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Brexit minister Lord Frost wants to completely overhaul the pact overseeing post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.
He has warned that if the EU don’t cave to demands, the UK will trigger Article 16, which would effectively tear up the deal.
The UK’s International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is flying to the US this week as she looks to significantly boost trade and diplomatic ties through meetings with several members of Mr Biden’s administration.
Crunch talks will take place on Wednesday when she meets US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo, where she is expected to push for an end to tariffs imposed on British steel and aluminium.
But Nile Gardiner, a foreign trade analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, claimed the US President’s “animosity” towards Brexit is creating avoidable problems in the “special relationship” with the UK.
The expert claimed Mr Biden’s presidency has been “hugely unhelpful in relation to UK-US relations, branding his foreign policy a “complete disaster”.
Mr Gardiner told Express.co.uk: “There is a lot of tension in the UK-US special relationship.
“That is the result of the Biden administration’s animosity towards Brexit and the unwillingness from that administration to move forward with a US-UK free trade deal.
“The Biden presidency has been hugely unhelpful in regards to UK-US relations and Biden’s foreign policy has been a complete disaster, as we saw with the Afghanistan withdrawal, damaging the US standing in the world.
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Ahead of her trip to the US for crunch talks, International Trade Secretary Mrs Trevelyan has been urged to tell the Biden administration it is “high time” to lift punishing tariffs on British steel.
During the presidency of Mr Trump in 2018, the US slapped the EU with tariffs of 25 percent on steel products and 10 percent on aluminium – when the UK was still a member of the bloc.
The US has scrapped tariffs on EU steel but has failed to repeat the move for the UK.
Last week, the Financial Times reported post-Brexit tensions with the EU over Northern Ireland are partly behind the delay.
Government ministers are reported to have acknowledged some US figures are concerned about the UK’s approach to Northern Ireland.
But they have insisted the trade row with the US is “entirely separate” to Brexit negotiations.
Ministers have acknowledged that some US figures harbour concerns over the UK’s approach to Northern Ireland, but insist the trade dispute with the US is “entirely separate” to discussions on Brexit.
A Whitehall source told The Telegraph: “We want to see tariffs dropped on both sides. But it needs to be on terms that work for the UK steel industry.
“It’s good their department of commerce released a statement recently saying the administration will engage with the UK on trade issues like aluminium and steel.
“Now it’s high time we get on and sort this issue.”
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