The UK says it will tighten if France does not back down from the fishing dispute

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British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, London

Written by Jay Faulconbridge and Alistair Smoot

LONDON (Reuters) – The United Kingdom gave France 48 hours on Monday to step back from a fisheries dispute that threatens to escalate into a wider trade crisis between two of Europe’s largest economies or face a complex process under the Brexit deal.

Post-Brexit disputes over fishing culminated last week with the confiscation of a British fishing vessel, the Cornelis Geert Jean, in French waters near Le Havre. France threatens to adopt sanctions from 2 November that could harm trade across the Channel.

Measures could include additional customs and health checks on British goods and a ban on British ships in some French ports.

“The French are making absolutely senseless threats, including to the Channel Islands and our fisheries sector, and they need to withdraw these threats, otherwise we will use the mechanisms of our trade agreement with the European Union (EU) to act,” she said. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News.

“The French are acting unfairly. That’s not within the terms of a trade agreement. And if someone behaves unfairly in a trade agreement, you have the right to take action against them and seek some remedial action. That’s what we’ll do if the French don’t back down,” Truss said.

When asked about France’s time for this, she said: “This issue needs to be resolved within the next 48 hours.”

The UK and France have been at odds for decades over the rich fishing grounds around their northern coasts, but a new crisis erupted in September after the French accused the British of not providing enough licenses for their own boats. 12 nautical miles from British beaches.

The UK said it had issued licenses to ships able to prove they had previously fished in its waters, a key requirement of British fishermen, who fear French boats will drain their income.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the rift behind the scenes at the G20 summit in Rome, but failed to iron out the differences.

Bilateral relations have become increasingly strained since the United Kingdom voted not to belong to the European Union in 2016. London recently signed a security agreement that Britain signed with the United States and Australia which did not help restore confidence.