LONDON: Brexit negotiator David Davis said on Wednesday he hopes to agree with the EU on a transition period for Britain's withdrawal by the end of the year, and conclude a trade deal by 2019.
He said negotiations on future trade ties may only conclude in March 2019 and the British and European parliaments would therefore be asked to ratify the deal after Britain has already left the bloc.
Appearing before a committee of British lawmakers, Davis insisted the timeline, which envisages agreeing key details of the transition period in the first quarter of 2018, was plausible.
"There is no reason why we cannot do this in the time available... but we have to have a degree of determination to achieve that," he told members of the Exiting the European Union Committee.
"What we are intending to do is to get the form of the implementation period agreed quickly -- December or thereafter -- but we want to conclude the overall negotiation by the end of March 2019."
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has previously stated it would take several years of negotiations following Britain's exit from the bloc to reach a free trade agreement.
Davis said on Wednesday it was crucial for Britain to negotiate its future relationship with the EU ahead of entering into a transition phase.
Sketching out his view of a transitional period, Davis said Britain would look to maintain financial "passporting" rules, and a "customs agreement."
He added it would also comply with the free movement of EU citizens, with a new registration scheme, and that the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice would "certainly initially" remain.
Davis said Britain would initially look to "grandfather" into law existing free trade agreements between the EU and other countries, while it struck new or expanded deals.