Trump and U.K.’s Johnson Talk Trade for Second Time in a Week

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Boris Johnson spoke for the second time since the British prime minister took office last week, agreeing to cooperate on trade and global security, according to a White House statement.

Johnson has made securing a post-Brexit trade deal with the U.S. a key priority, while according to his ambassador in London, Trump has talked about putting Britain “at the front of the line” once it has left the European Union.

In their phone call on Thursday, Trump “reiterated his strong appreciation for the special relationship” between the U.K. and the U.S., according to the statement, and said he was looking forward to the two meeting in Biarritz, France for the Group of Seven summit this month. A spokesman for Johnson's office confirmed the call had taken place, without giving a summary.

The two leaders also agreed to cooperate on global security and on 5G mobile broadband networks, the White House said. That's a potentially contentious issue between the two governments, after former Prime Minister Theresa May's administration delayed a decision on whether to allow China's Huawei Technologies Co. to play a role in the next-generation networks.

Using Huawei equipment risks angering the Trump administration, which has imposed a ban on the company -- an issue that goes to the heart of recent U.S.-China trade tensions.

In their first call after Johnson took office, he and Trump expressed their commitment to delivering an ambitious free trade agreement and to starting negotiations as soon as possible after the U.K. leaves the EU -- which Johnson has promised to do by Oct. 31.

On Friday, Johnson spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who urged his British counterpart to ensure an orderly Brexit, according to a statement from Japan's Foreign Ministry. Abe also expressed his concern about the impact on Japanese companies operating in the U.K., the ministry said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Andrew Atkinson

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