US wants trade deal with UK ‘finalised before too long’

He also welcomed steps taken by the UK – including a ban on Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks and the suspension of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong – but he said countries needed to work together to increase pressure on Beijing.

Speaking at a press briefing at Lancaster House in central London following his talks with Mr Raab, the former US army officer confirmed there was “more work to do” before a trade deal could be signed off after almost two months of negotiations.

But he confirmed that he told Mr Johnson during a Downing Street summit how Washington wanted a deal “finalised before too long”.

Mr Pompeo told reporters: “We’ve completed two rounds, we’ve got more work to do, with a third round scheduled for later this month.

“It is the primary focus of the United States to see if we can make progress on this and bring it to a close just as soon as possible.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister this morning about this and I hope we can get it finalised before too long.”

Cabinet minister Mr Raab and Mr Pompeo were due to meet with the British-American Business Council following their bi-lateral discussions.

Mr Pompeo said the meeting with business figures would assist the two countries in getting to the “right place, which is reducing trade barriers” while also providing jobs and wealth in both nations.

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In his opening speech, Mr Raab said: “We are each other’s biggest investors.

“Our annual trade relationship is worth over 300 billion US dollars, we think we can do even better than that.

“Every morning there are just under 1.5 million Americans who go to work for a British company, it is around the same amount of Brits going to work for American companies.

“I think that reiterates the kind of win-win free trade deal we are determined to achieve between our countries, good for jobs and good for consumers as well.”

Mr Raab last week said that “Russian actors” had tried to influence the 2019 contest by “amplifying” stolen Government papers from US-UK trade talks by sharing them online.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, during their press conference at Lancaster House in central London (Peter Summers/PA)

The documents were picked up by then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who said they were evidence the Conservatives were preparing to open up the NHS to US pharmaceutical companies.

Also under discussion during the meeting was Iran, the coronavirus crisis, Nato and the Middle East peace process.

During the 12-minute appearance in front of the media, Mr Pompeo welcomed the action taken by the UK on extending the United Nations arms embargo on Iran.

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He said: “I welcome the recent statement from the United Kingdom, France and Germany recognising that allowing the embargo to expire would have major implications for regional and security stability.”

Mr Pompeo heralded the “special relationship” between the US and UK and called Britain a “true ally”.

On the ban on Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks and the suspension of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong he said: "We have seen Hong Kong’s freedoms crushed” and “watched the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) bully its neighbours”.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the British Government for its principled response to these challenges,” he said.

“We support those sovereign choices, we think ‘well done’.”

But he indicated that more was needed from allies including the UK to respond to the increasingly assertive China under Xi Jinping.