(VOVworld) – The UK could take up to 10 years to negotiate trade deals with the US if it leaves the EU, US President Barack Obama said Saturday in an interview with the BBC during an official visit to London.

US President Barack Obama (Photo: VNA)

President Obama said that the UK will not get preferential treatment over the EU when it comes to negotiating a new trade deal, and said the UK will not be able to negotiate something with the US faster than the EU – the US’s largest trading partner.
At a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, President Obama said if the UK stays in the EU, it will strengthen the economic power of both sides. If the UK votes to leave the EU, President Obama says the UK will be at the “back of the queue”. The US will focus on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the EU rather than a single European country.