U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the UK Secretary of State had assured her that there would be no physical barriers on the Irish border but that there were other issues.

Pelosi met with Dominic Rabb in Capitol Hill last night to say that there would be no trade deal with the US if Brexit threatened the Good Friday deal.

Pelosi told RTE News that he respects Britain’s self-determination, but his phone exploded when news broke that the UK wanted to amend the withdrawal agreement.

She said, “We’ll see where we go from here. I think we all understand each other.”

In the promise of US President Donald Trump’s trade deal, Pelosi said, “Not so fast,” and that trade deals are a matter for Congress.

Mr Robb is in Washington this week to reassure the US about Brexit. He told CNN News this evening that the Good Friday agreement was not in jeopardy and that Britain would not apply a strict border in Ireland.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned about this last night The Good Friday Accord could not have been more dangerous than Brexit.

“Any trade deal between the US and the UK must respect the agreement and prevent the return of a strict border. Time, ”he tweeted.

We cannot allow Brexit to jeopardize the Good Friday agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.

Any trade deal between the US and the UK must respect the agreement and prevent the return of a strict border. Duration. https://t.co/Ecu9jPrcHL

– Joe Biden (oe Jobiden) September 16, 2020

Tonight, New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez is backing the U.S. to deny Britain a trade deal if it violates international law.

He said: “The Good Friday Agreement is important and international law is important.

“The US response should be simple: If the UK does not comply with its commitment under the GFA, there will be no US-UK trade deals.”

Meanwhile, the UK government announced tonight that the UK and the European Union have made limited progress during the informal talks in Brussels on the trade deal.

A spokesman said: “The UK negotiating team had useful formal discussions with the European Union this week, and we look forward to reaching an agreement by mid – October on our future relationship.

“These cover a wide range of issues and have made limited progress, but significant gaps remain in key areas, including fisheries and subsidies.

“We will work hard to resolve the gaps in next week’s talks without compromising our basic position as an independent nation.”

The Good Friday deal is important.

International law is important.

The US response should be simple: If the UK does not comply with its commitment under the GFA, there will be no US-UK trade deals. https://t.co/qipyCs1Bvi

– Senator Bob Menendez (en Senator Menendez) September 17, 2020

Earlier in the day, EU spokesman Brussels dismissed allegations by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that talks were still in good faith. He said he had threatened to block food going to Northern Ireland.

“Michelle Barnier has proven … that even on very complex and politically strategic issues, the Commission, and of course the EU, is discussing in good faith,” said EU spokesman Eric Mammer.

Today, after a “wash out” meeting on Brexit preparations, there were angry reactions from the British high school sector for the second day’s run.

The meeting with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who is in charge of preparations to leave the European Union, was “very low on our expectations,” the Road Hulage Association said.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said it was unclear what changes would be expected after the transition period ends after December 31.

“The Whitehall meeting was a wash,” he said in a statement. He tweeted: “Today’s meeting with Michael Gove is far below our expectations.

“We have been cooperating effectively with each other to ensure that unobstructed cross-border crossings have not taken place. The questions we have raised are still unclear.”

This comes after Logistics UK yesterday warned that businesses in the UK could be hit hard if the UK government’s smart goods system is not tested on January, when Brussels’ new border restrictions on exports from the UK take effect.