两项新的调查显示，美国和英国企业都希望在英国退出欧盟时代优先考虑跨大西洋贸易关系，因为英国正从欧洲兄弟国家转向更亲美国的经济和外交战略。
调查——完全由新闻周刊——显示在英国曲折退出欧盟期间和之后的未来五年预测贸易排名中，美国公司将英国排在仅次于加拿大和中国的第三位。
对英国人来说，大多数接受调查的商界领袖希望优先考虑与美国的自由贸易协定，而不是与欧盟和中国的自由贸易协定，尽管一些英国政界人士和选民担心，这样的协定会让这个国家面临损害美国商业惯例的风险。
亲英国退出欧盟的英国政治家——包括现任首相鲍里斯·约翰逊和他的保守党——目前正在赢得定于12月12日举行的大选——正转向美国，希望一项广泛的自由贸易协定将减轻离开这个世界最大单一市场的打击。
但更进步的政治家警告称，作为未来贸易协议中的初级伙伴，英国可能会被迫接受较低的监管标准损害食品卫生和质量、工人权利和环境保护。
英国人尤其担心，他们将被迫向美国公司开放宝贵的国家卫生服务，并不断攀升医疗费用就像在大西洋的另一边。
反对党已经投了美国的票，尤其是唐纳德·特朗普总统非常不受欢迎在英国——在他们的竞选活动中有点像妖怪，争吵投票给约翰逊就等于投票给特朗普品牌的不受约束的美国资本主义和进一步放松管制。
特朗普本人用关于英国的自相矛盾的言论煽风点火，发誓说英国将会在队列的前面“英国退出欧盟之后的交易。他还补充说，经济的所有领域——包括国民保健体系——都将是”在桌子上。”在英国遭到强烈反对后，他后来反驳了这一说法
美国立法者也敲响了警钟，警告国会不会批准任何被认为破坏耶稣受难节协议这结束了北爱尔兰激烈的教派冲突，其中一个关键方面是该省和爱尔兰共和国南部的非军事化边界。
与欧盟的艰难决裂可能需要边境的检查和安全基础设施，目前边境无人值守。这可能会激起民族主义者的愤怒，并使任何设施成为新一轮袭击的目标。
尽管存在这些担忧，但西方联盟调查了1000家美国公司的“美国2020年展望”报告发现，就未来五年的预期贸易机会而言，美国商界领袖仅次于中国，仅次于加拿大。
英国及其6600万人口为美国公司提供了诱人的经济机会，尤其是如果面对混乱的英国退出欧盟，英国货币继续贬值。据美国贸易代表办公室称，2018年，美国和英国的商品和服务贸易价值为2614亿美元。其中出口额为1404亿美元。
西方联盟指出，英国在能源、大宗商品和矿业公司中排名尤其靠前。
根据英国海洋调查公司进行的英国海洋调查，英国公司对英美合作有着共同的热情。
调查采访了514名英国商界领袖，询问如果英国脱离欧盟关税同盟，英国政府应该优先考虑哪个市场，约翰逊和保守党对此表示支持。
美国分别以53%和52%的优势挤过欧盟，中国以32%的优势位居第三。紧随其后的是澳大利亚(23.5%)和新西兰(14.4%)。
诺顿罗氏富布赖特律师事务所(Norton Rose Fulbright law company)全球运输主管、英国海事委员会主席哈里特奥查理(Harry Theochari)表示，美国和英国是“天然的全球合作伙伴”，美国已经是英国最大的单一国家贸易伙伴。
“但是在一起还有做更多事情的空间，”塞奥查里争辩道。“这只会有助于推动整个国家的投资、增长和就业。”
迫在眉睫的选举——一个多世纪以来的第一次12月选举——可能会给英国退出欧盟的纠纷带来一些急需的澄清。
如果保守党赢得多数席位——正如民意调查显示的那样——英国很可能会追求一个强硬的英国退出欧盟，即一个脱离单一市场和关税同盟、不与欧盟保持紧密联系的国家。从法律角度来看，这将使与美国的贸易协定变得更加容易，也更有利于填补一个巨大的经济漏洞。
但是，如果保守党没有获胜——无论这意味着他们被迫在议会中以少数人的身份执政，还是被杰里米·科尔宾工党击败——下一阶段就不太明朗了，伦敦和布鲁塞尔之间可能会有更多的谈判。
2019年9月24日，在联合国大会期间，唐纳德·特朗普总统和英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊在纽约联合国总部举行会议。
U.S. COMPANIES TURN TO BREXIT BRITAIN FOR INCREASED TRADE DESPITE U.K. FEARS OF TRUMP TRADE DEAL, SURVEYS SHOW
Two new surveys show that both American and British businesses hope to prioritize transatlantic trade ties in the Brexit era, as the U.K. drifts from its European cousins and towards a more americanophile economic and diplomatic strategy.
The investigations—acquired exclusively by Newsweek—showed that American companies put the U.K. third behind only Canada and China in a ranking of predicted future trade over the next five years, during and after the country's tortuous departure from the European Union.
And for the Brits, a majority of business leaders surveyed wanted to prioritize a free-trade deal with the U.S. over one with the EU and China, despite fears among some British politicians and voters that such an agreement would open the country up to damaging U.S. business practices.
Pro-Brexit British politicians—including current Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party, currently on course to win the general election scheduled for December 12—are pivoting towards the U.S. in the hope that a wide-ranging free-trade deal will soften the blow of leaving the world's largest single market.
But more progressive politicians are warning that the U.K., as a junior partner in a prospective trade deal, could be forced to accept the lower regulatory standards of the U.S., undermining food hygiene and quality, workers' rights and environmental safeguards.
Brits are especially concerned they will be forced to open up the treasured National Health Service to U.S. companies, driving up healthcare costs as on the other side of the Atlantic.
Opposition parties have cast the U.S.—and especially President Donald Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the U.K.—as somewhat of a bogeyman during their election campaigns, arguing that a vote for Johnson is a vote for a Trumpian brand of unfettered U.S. capitalism and further deregulation.
Trump himself has fanned the flames with contradicting statements about the U.K., vowing the country would be at the "front of the queue" for a deal after Brexit. He also added that all areas of the economy—including the NHS—would be "on the table." He later walked back the assertion following backlash in the U.K.
Lawmakers in the U.S. have also been sounding the alarm, warning that Congress will not ratify any trade deal perceived to undermine the Good Friday Agreement that ended Northern Ireland's bitter sectarian conflict, a key facet of which is a demilitarized border between the province and the Republic of Ireland to the south.
A hard break with the EU may necessitate checks and security infrastructure at the border, which is currently unmanned. This could spark anger among nationalists and make any facilities a target for renewed attacks.
Despite such concerns, Western Union's "US Outlook 2020" report—which surveyed 1,000 American companies—found that U.S. business leaders rank the U.K. behind only China in first and Canada in second in terms of expected trade opportunities over the coming five years.
The U.K. and its 66 million people offer a tantalizing economic opportunity for American firms, especially if its currency continues to devalue in the face of a chaotic Brexit. Western Union said U.S.-U.K. trade in goods and services was valued at $261.4 billion in 2018, citing the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Among this was $140.4 billion worth of exports.
Western Union noted that the U.K. was ranked especially highly by energy, commodities and mining firms.
The enthusiasm for British-American cooperation is shared by U.K. companies, according to the Maritime UK survey conducted by Survation.
Survation spoke with 514 British business leaders asking which market the British government should prioritize if Britain leaves the EU customs union, a move favored by Johnson and the Conservatives.
The U.S. edged out the EU 53 percent to 52 percent, respectively, with China in a fairly distant third on 32 percent. Behind them were Australia on 23.5 percent and New Zealand on 14.4 percent.
Harry Theochari, Maritime U.K.'s chair and the head of global transport at the Norton Rose Fulbright law firm, said the U.S. and U.K. are "natural global partners," and that the U.S. is already the U.K.'s largest single-country trading partner.
"But there is scope to do much more together," Theochari argued. "And that will only help drive investment, growth and jobs across our country."
The looming election—the first December vote in more than a century—may bring some much-needed clarity to the Brexit tangle.
If the Conservatives win a majority—as the polls currently indicate they will—the U.K. will likely pursue a hard Brexit, i.e. one in which the country leaves the single market and customs union and does not maintain close alignment with the EU. This would make a trade deal with the U.S. easier from a legal perspective and more desirable to plug a gaping economic hole.
But if the Conservatives do not triumph—whether that means they are forced to govern with a minority in Parliament or are defeated by Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party—the next stage is less clear, with more negotiations between London and Brussels likely.
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hold a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, September 24, 2019, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
