Donald Trump is “very eager to have a phenomenal trade agreement” with Britain, according to the US President’s top official at the World Trade Organisation. US trade representative Dennis Shea insisted there is “tremendous political will” to seal the transatlantic deal. In a stark contrast, the EU’s top trade official said a no-deal Brexit would leave relations with London fractured.

Sabine Weyand, Michel Barnier’s former deputy, said: “No deal is not a good start for building a constructive relationship.”

In a thinly veiled dig at Britain’s negotiating strategy through the first stage of Brexit talks, the German eurocrat added: “I don’t think you should go into a negotiation with one party defining the outcome.”

This is largely seen as an attack on outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s negotiating strict red lines, which Brussels have criticised for leading to tumultuous talks since Article 50 was triggered.

Speaking at the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels summit, Mr Shea was far more optimistic ahead of US-UK trade talks.

He insisted Washington is ready and willing to start trade talks as soon as London is ready and able.

The US ambassador to the WTO said: “I will say Donald Trump is very eager to have a phenomenal trade agreement with the UK when it exits the EU, there have been a lot of discussions already.

“Once the UK is in a position to enter into a free-trade agreement, there’s a lot of political will on the part of the Untied States to get that achieved.”

He added: “I will say there is tremendous political will in the administration, as well as Congress, to have a United States- United Kingdom free-trade agreement.”

But he refused to speculate on when the deal could be signed, adding: “We shall see when the United Kingdom gets out of the European Union.”

EU officials and diplomats believe trade talks with the UK would start within six weeks if the country leaves the bloc without a deal on October 31.

An EU source said: “We expect the British to be back at the negotiating table by November if they leave without a deal at the end of October.”

The European Commission believes its no deal contingency plans, developed by Martin Selmayr, are able to withstand the early tests of Britain’s abrupt exit.

Ms Weyand, who was unveiled as the Brussels-based executive’s director-general for trade last month, said Britain would be solely to blame for a no-deal divorce.

She said: “This choice will be the UK’s and we are ready to engage.

“The EU and UK have a strong interest in finding new accommodation when the UK has left the EU.

“We will remain aligned in the outlook of the world, the UK and EU will be partners in a rule-based international system.”

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who has first-hand experience of negotiating with the German eurocrat, this week claimed the EU would be blamed for no-deal Brexit.

He told the BBC it would be “the EU’s fault” if Britain leaves on World Trade Organisation terms because it was possible to strike a better Brexit deal before the end of October.

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