Philip Hammond has accused European Union governments of failing to set out what future relationship they want with Britain, saying during a speech in Germany that “it takes two to tango.”

At a conference in Berlin hosted by the newspaper Die Welt, the chancellor said negotiating partners have given “little, if any signal”, of how they want to work with Britain after the “implementation period” that will start in March 2019.

“They say it takes two to tango. Both sides need to be clear about what they want from a future relationship,” he said.

“I know the repeated complaint from Brussels has been that the UK hasn’t made up its mind what type of relationship it wants, but in London, many feel that we have little, if any, signal of what future relationship the EU27 would like to have with a post-Brexit Britain.”

The chancellor suggested there had been a “marked asymmetry” between the “enthusiasm” expressed by non-EU countries keen to strike future trade deals with the UK and what he called “the relative silence, in public at least, from Europe on what the EU wants our future relationship to look like”.

International trade secretary Liam Fox has been on a series of missions to non-EU states, from New Zealand to Japan, seeking assurances that countries are ready to strike post-Brexit trade deals.

Jenny Chapman, shadow Brexit minister, said: “If the government wanted to be anyone’s tango partner it would be more Ed Balls than Darcy Bussell. At every stage of the Brexit process, Theresa May has allowed the European Union to go first and set the terms of debate because of splits within her own party. Now talks have moved to the second phase ministers must stop waiting for the EU to lead.”

Theresa May’s cabinet held its first formal discussion of the so-called “end state” for the Brexit talks before Christmas, with rival camps favouring a closer, Norway-style relationship and the looser “Canada plus” approach favoured by the Brexit secretary, David Davis.

Hammond is widely seen as an advocate for the closest possible alignment with the EU27, but in his speech, he urged other countries to make the case publicly for the best possible deal, “putting behind us any narrative of ‘punishment’ for leaving and focusing on the mutually beneficial relationships we have now and can continue in the future”.

“I am saying this to you tonight, because I fear that many EU opinion-formers see this as a question only for British politicians, for British voters to resolve, before they engage with the EU27,” he said.

He argued that by “signalling a willingness to work together”, Britain’s EU partners could, “send a message to the British people which will resonate as they consider the options for their future”.

Both Hammond and Davis hope that with the fractious first phase of talks complete, businesses on the continent will help to make the case for the benefits of a smooth trading relationship – with tariff-free access to the market in goods, for example.

But the chancellor was accused of threatening Britain’s EU partners last year when he said Britain would “not take it lying down” if it was locked out of EU markets – widely read as a threat to slash taxes and compete against the EU.

Hammond will hold a series of meetings with German business leaders on the sidelines of the conference, and Davis will fly to Germany tomorrow on his own charm offensive.

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has repeatedly complained of a lack of clarity on Britain’s hopes for the outcome of the talks.

He has also taken a robust line over issues such as financial services, insisting that the City’s powerful banks will lose their “passporting” rights to conduct business in EU states.

Davis was ridiculed in Brussels earlier this week after a leaked letter revealed he had considered taking legal action against the EU after it began warning British businesses about the consequences of a “no deal” Brexit.

The European Commission’s chief spokesman, Margaritas Schinas, told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday, “here in the European commission we are somehow surprised that the UK is surprised that we are preparing for a scenario announced by the UK government itself”.

Pro-Brexit Conservatives have been keen for the government to keep the option of a “no deal” Brexit on the table – but contrary to reports over the weekend, the prime minister did not appoint a cabinet minister for “no deal” in this week’s reshuffle.

Since May secured the EU’s acceptance in December that “sufficient progress” had been made to move onto the next phase of talks, on Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the other 27 member-states, negotiations have continued between officials.

Top of the agenda is the nature of the “implementation period” of around two years that Britain wants to secure after Brexit, in March 2019.

David Davis hopes a deal can be struck on this issue in the first quarter of this year, although the EU27 have not yet agreed their negotiating guidelines on it.

May has conceded that the framework of EU rules will continue to apply during the implementation period, which will include some oversight by the European Court of Justice, despite the objections of pro-Brexit backbenchers including Iain Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees Mogg.