Agreement in principle comes as Britain races to secure deals before Brexit transition ends

Japan and the UK have agreed a “historic” free trade deal, as Britain races to secure easy access to overseas markets as it prepares to leave the European Union.

“This is a historic moment for the UK and Japan as our first major post-Brexit trade deal,” Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, said after a video call with the Japanese foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Friday.