The United States has congratulated Britain and the European Union for reaching a trade agreement before the end of the transition phase on December 31. The White House National Security Council congratulated both UK and EU for concluding the historic Brexit deal and said that it “stands ready” to work with all and build stronger transatlantic ties. Britain and the EU announced reaching a trade agreement on the eve of Christmas after months of negotiations between London and Brussels.
Both sides agreed on a Brexit trade deal on December 24, just a week before the United Kingdom was scheduled to leave the European Union fully. Britain had officially exited the 28-nation bloc on January 31, 2020, following which it moved into a transition phase to negotiate a trade agreement with the EU. Britain will become free from the liability of the bloc starting January 1, 2021, onwards, meaning it will no longer have to comply with EU rules.