Mexico, UK Bracing for Free Trade Deal Negotiations

As future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) remains unclear, Mexico have agreed to hold talks on free with the United Kingdom on free boosting strategic partnership that envisages creation of a free trade zone involving the two states.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray Caso has held telephone talks with his British counterpart Boris Johnson discussing cooperation and trade, the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"The secretaries agreed that the strategic relationship between Mexico and the United Kingdom is going through one of its best moments, characterized by the excellent level of political dialogue and economic, educational and cultural exchanges," the Wednesday statement says.

According to the foreign ministry release, Videgaray invited Johnson to visit Mexico to discuss future cooperation.

Both ministers "expressed their intention to negotiate a free trade agreement between Mexico and the United Kingdom, as soon as the process of leaving the European Union [Brexit] allows," the ministry statement says.

Mexico’s Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo said this week that his country was planning to extend the current trade agreement with the European Union amid the uncertainty of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

According to Guajardo, Mexico has launched free trade negotiations with Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam following the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade treaty.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the TPP on January 23, and promised to renegotiate NAFTA.