Britain is nearing an agreement in principle on a free trade deal with New Zealand, its trade ministry says, as London looks to bolster its post-Brexit trade ties with non-EU partners.
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The European Union is Britain's single largest trade partner and the two sides have signed a post-Brexit trade pact, but business groups say they still face extra red tape dealing with European customers and suppliers as a result of Brexit.
UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss said "great progress" had been made in a sixth round of discussions that ran from July 19 to 30.
A trade agreement with New Zealand could see the removal of tariffs on British and New Zealand goods making products available at lower prices, the ministry said.
A deal would also enable small and medium enterprises to export more goods and services to New Zealand, it said.
"We're closing in on an agreement in principle, with six more chapters now complete," Truss said on Saturday.
It comes after the UK made an in-principle free trade deal with Ausralia in June, which will result in many tariffs removed between the UK and Australia.
The legal text is yet to be hammered out.
Also in June, Britain received a green light to start the process of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc of 11 countries.
Britain's trade ministry earlier also signalled confidence in its trade talks with New Zealand and said it aimed to conclude a "fantastic" agreement in August.
Australian Associated Press