Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is interviewed by Reuters at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Aly Song

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain may not be able to reach a divorce deal with the European Union because a number of contentious issues still stand in the way, trade minister Liam Fox said on Saturday.

“We are seeing a difficult end to the negotiation,” he told Sky News.

Asked what would happen if Britain failed to get its way over outstanding issues such as Northern Ireland, he said: “Well in that case we may not be able to reach an agreement with the European Union.”