After meeting New Zealand PM at Downing Street, Theresa May says she hopes deal can be reached in ‘reasonable space of time’

The international trade secretary, Liam Fox, is to be dispatched to New Zealand to begin talks on a post-Brexit deal, Theresa May has announced after talks with the country’s prime minister.

Speaking alongside Bill English at Downing Street, May said New Zealand was a perfect example of the sort of country with which the UK could tie down a trade deal relatively rapidly.

Initial discussions had already begun to “scope out” the basis for such talks, May said, while stressing that nothing could be formally agreed before Britain’s departure from the EU was completed.

“As two island nations, we know that trade is essential to the prosperity of our countries,” May said. “While the UK remains in the EU we will work together to support an EU-New Zealand trade deal and we will also look to the future and how we can expand our trade and investment partnership.

“Through our new bilateral trade dialogue we will push for greater global trade liberalisation and reform, share expertise and identify ways to strengthen our own trading relationship. And the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, will visit New Zealand in the coming months to launch these important talks.”

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May is due to make a speech on Tuesday fleshing out the government’s Brexit plans, which appear likely to include prioritising control of immigration over access to the EU’s single market, and leaving the jurisdiction of the European court of justice.

The UK is currently New Zealand’s fifth biggest trade partner. English, an even newer prime minister than May – he took the post in December when John Key resigned – said he had been briefed by his host over lunch about Brexit.

“I must say I’m impressed by the sheer size and complexity of the task and the clarity and determination that the prime minister is bringing to it,” he said.

Neither leader was willing to guess at a timetable for signing a new trade deal, with English saying only that he hoped it would happen as soon as possible.

Asked about timings, May said: “I think precisely because we both value free trade, because we have those shared values, I hope that it will be possible to conclude an agreement with New Zealand in a reasonable space of time.”

She said dialogue had begun already “to see how we can scope out the work that needs to be done”.

English proved to be a highly supportive guest, mentioning his admiration for May’s new and so far slightly vague vision of a “shared society”, something a Downing Street source said he had brought up unprompted.

He said New Zealand was ready to be a testbed for UK trade negotiations. “If the UK wants to show they can negotiate a high-quality trade agreement, then New Zealand is the ideal partner for them.”