Arancha González said that Britain enjoys “huge control over the trade policy of the European Union” with non-EU countries and would find it difficult to rebuild such influence after Brexit

Britain has lost control over trade with partners outside the European Union and is unlikely to sign landmark deals with them before resolving its relationship with the bloc, a senior United Nations and World Trade Organisation official has warned.

Nations such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand would only formally open trade negotiations with the United Kingdom once it had defined its post-Brexit relationship with Brussels, according to Arancha González, executive director at the International Trade Centre.

Ms González said that Britain enjoyed “huge control over the trade policy of the European Union” with non-EU countries and would find it very difficult to rebuild such influence after leaving.

“I think what I see happening in the UK is they are struggling to move