Yesterday, Boris Johnson took on the role of prime minister of the United Kingdom in the wake of his predecessor Theresa May’s departure from office. As Prime Minister, Johnson may be able to make the final push for Brexit for the U.K., which would allow the country to pursue negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United States.

In September 2018, The Heritage Foundation worked with a coalition of think tanks to publish a free trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K.

“The Ideal US-UK Trade Agreement” would eliminate trade barriers between both countries. Heritage is one of 11 free market think tanks from the United States and Britain that contributed to the creation of the agreement.

The deal would lead to unilateral reductions in tariffs, rules, and regulations in their trading.

“With tensions rising between the European Union and China, as well as the U.K.’s recent succession from the EU, this deal has the potential to unite the two countries together,” said Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow on Anglo-American relations in the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at Heritage.

Bromund testified before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment on the transatlantic policy impacts of the U.S.-EU trade conflict on June 26. While the hearing did not touch directly on the free trade agreement proposed by Heritage, Bromund drew connections to it, citing deals reducing barriers to trade as what should be the goal of the United States.

“”[The Trump administration’s] zero tariffs, zero [nontariff barriers], zero subsidies goal is the correct one, and its commitment to an ambitious U.S.-U.K. free trade area post-Brexit is laudable,” said Bromund at the June 26 hearing.

The work conducted by the Thatcher Center on free trade between the two countries goes beyond this specific proposal, making Heritage a leader in this policy area.

These policy analysts and experts have promoted a free trade agreement through reports on trade between the two nations, news appearances, and testifying to congress on multiple occasions.

Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Thatcher Center, testified in December 2017 on behalf of a free trade deal with Britain to the same subcommittee as Bromund.

The Trump administration notified Congress in October 2018 of its intention to seek a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom.