London | The United Kingdom and Australia agreed on the general outlines of a post-Brexit trade agreement, which should be announced during the day, the British press revealed on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison reached an agreement during a dinner in Downing Street on Monday night, according to the PA news agency.

An official announcement is expected at 8am GMT.

This trade agreement, which has yet to be signed, would be the first achieved by the United Kingdom that is not simply a renewal or adaptation of agreements that exist between the EU and other countries.

However, it raises serious concerns, including within the government, but especially among British farmers who fear losing competitiveness to Australian beef and lamb.

The British government hopes that this agreement with Australia will more easily open the doors to the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement (CPTPP), which brings together 11 countries from America and Asia. At the beginning of June, the latter authorized the United Kingdom to begin the procedure to join this broad free trade agreement.

The United Kingdom has already closed agreements with the EU and Japan and is in talks, in addition to Australia, with the United States, India and New Zealand. Negotiations are planned with Canada and Mexico.

London also intends to reach a trade agreement with the United States, although progress seems limited at the moment. It was not mentioned in reports of the meeting between Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden on Thursday on the eve of the G7 meeting in Cornwall (southwest England).