After resolving a few remaining fair competition issues, negotiators were dealing with EU fisheries rights in U.K. waters as they worked to secure a deal for a post-Brexit relationship after nine months of talks. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has always insisted the U.K. would “prosper mightily” even if no deal were reached and the U.K. had to trade with the EU on World Trade Organization terms. Rumors of a pre-Christmas trade deal surfaced in recent days based on progress on the outstanding issues beyond fishing. However, some EU nations insisted that upon close scrutiny, Britain’s latest proposals on quotas for EU vessels in U.K. waters were far less conciliatory than first met the eye. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/BrexitImportant conversations are happening now.

Source: Huffington Post December 23, 2020 18:11 UTC