United States hopes for trade deal with UK, Trump's trade chief says - BBC

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States is hopeful of sealing a mini-trade deal with the United Kingdom to reduce tariffs, President Donald Trump's trade chief, Robert Lighthizer, told the BBC.

Lighthizer said he was hopeful for a deal that could see punitive tariffs on Scottish whisky lowered, the BBC said.

He also suggested the UK would need to go further than last week's announcement breaking with the EU's support of European plane maker Airbus, the BBC said.

Britain will suspend retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. goods as part of a dispute over aircraft subsidies from Jan. 1, the first step to diverging from European Union trade policy.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton)