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Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said a post-Brexit trade deal is \u201clikely\u201d but it will not be easy.<\/p>\nMinister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said a post-Brexit trade deal is \u201clikely\u201d but it will not be easy.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney described talks between the EU and the UK as currently being in a \u201cvery serious zone\u201d and said he is \u201cunder no illusion of the challenges\u201d as they try to come to an agreement.<\/p>\n
He said the next 10 to 14 days is the \u201crealistic\u201d timeline now \u201cto complete this\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re likely to get a deal but it won\u2019t be easy,\u201d Mr Coveney said.<\/p>\n
Talks between the EU and the UK on a post-Brexit trade deal will take place in Brussels from Thursday.<\/p>\n
The EU, led by Michel Barnier, and the UK, led by David Frost, have been meeting in London since the negotiations restarted last week.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney made the comments on Tuesday during a Irish Farmers\u2019 Journal webinar.<\/p>\n
The Fine Gael TD said the EU is working towards a \u201cno trade deal Brexit\u201d and there will be \u201cno more extensions of time\u201d when it came to the negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a no-deal Brexit any more, what we\u2019re now fighting for is a no trade deal Brexit which from an agricultural perspective would be hugely disruptive on many, many levels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to be ready for January 1st, there\u2019s going to be no more extensions of time, no more transition periods.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime is up at the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cork South-Central TD said there will be a new trading environment on January 1st whether or not a trade deal is reached.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s no trade deal it\u2019ll be on the basis of WTO standards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is a trade deal that will avoid tariffs and quotas but we will still unfortunately have a lot of disruption to trade.\u201d<\/p>\n
He warned it will take \u201csome getting used to\u201d for many businesses and they need to prepare for January 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a new reality, we wish it wasn\u2019t happening but it is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusinesses have 65 days to get their act together.\u201d<\/p>\n