The British government acknowledged Thursday that trade deals with major countries such as Japan and Turkey will not be in place by the planned Brexit day of March 29, while the European Union's chief said he remains downbeat about Britain avoiding a chaotic departure from the bloc.
Britain's international trade secretary, Liam Fox, claimed in 2017 that by the day the UK left the EU, the country would be in a position to continue the trade deals with 70 other nations it has as an EU member.
But only a handful of the deals have been finalised, including one with the tiny Faroe Islands.
As for the rest, Britain's Department for International Trade said Thursday "it remains our priority to conclude trade continuity agreements with these countries by exit day or as soon as possible thereafter."
A no-deal Brexit "will have terrible economic and social consequences both in Britain and on the continent," Juncker said at a EU conference, adding he was doing his utmost so "the worst can be avoided." But he said, "I am not very optimistic when it comes to this issue."