Kerry Says No U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal Until Brexit Talks Concluded

There can be no trade deal between Britain and the U.S. until the country’s exit from the European Union is complete, U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry said.

“Though clearly you can begin to pencil things in, you can’t ink them in, and that’s entirely right and proper,” Johnson told reporters in London Tuesday when asked about the possibility of a bilateral post-Brexit trade agreement. Kerry told a joint news conference with Johnson that it would be “physically impossible” to negotiate a deal with the U.K. while it remains part of the EU.