James Harden trade rumors: Projecting star's impact on a new team, and what numbers say about possible deals - CBS Sports

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The fundamental premise of any James Harden trade is that the acquiring team believes he can win it a championship. That's it. There's no deeper motive. There are no tickets to be sold this season. At 31 years old with some questionable fitness habits, there is no five-year plan. You trade for James Harden because you think having James Harden is the difference between winning a championship over the next year or two and not doing so. 

But how big of an impact would Harden really have on the teams in the hunt to acquire him? SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh ran the numbers to find out. Each game this season was simulated 10,000 times both before and after a possible Harden trade, with the tables below displaying the results. 

They will likely surprise you. In most cases, Harden's impact on his new team projects as minimal. In some cases, Harden even makes his new team slightly worse due to the tremendous cost of acquiring him and the limited options in refilling depth during the season. 

So let's go through the most realistic destinations, set a likely price and figure out just how much Harden would actually help each of these teams. One last note before we begin: In reality, these deals would include draft capital. Picks are not included for our purposes because they have no impact on the 2020-21 season (beyond use in other possible deals, which we won't project). With that in mind, we'll begin with the team Harden has been pushing for from the start. 

The trade: Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs for James Harden

Nets	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	3	97.3%	9.2%	33.2%
After trade	3	97.9%	10.7%	35.6%

The Nets improve slightly by adding Harden, and their motivation to acquire him likely grew when Dinwiddie partially tore his ACL. He's now expected to miss the rest of the season, and with a player option on the final year of his contract, there's no guarantee that he ever suits up for the Nets again. 

But Oh's statistical model views the upgrade from LeVert to Harden as somewhat marginal, when you factor in the loss of Allen as Brooklyn's best center as well. No team would face a greater "too many cooks" dilemma in adding Harden than the Nets. As dominant a trio as he, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would form offensively, satisfying all three would be a challenge, and would weaken Brooklyn's defense and depth. At a certain point, their offense would see diminishing returns. How good can any offense even be? 

The saving grace in this iteration of a Harden deal is that it would allow Brooklyn to keep Taurean Prince's salary to use in another trade that might help it replenish some of that lost defense and depth. If Houston demanded Prince as well? The notion that adding Harden would be mostly a lateral move for a dominant Brooklyn offense only gains credence. 

The trade: Ben Simmons and Mike Scott for James Harden

76ers	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	15	77.1%	0.7%	14.6%
After trade	13	86.2%	2.3%	21.8%

The numbers here are relatively small, but Philadelphia's gains are probably the most significant of any of the teams in the mix for Harden. The 76ers' odds of beating the Lakers in a seven-game series improve by nearly 50 percent, and their overall championship odds more than triple. That makes intuitive sense. Philadelphia's greatest weakness, aside from the brief Jimmy Butler era, has been individual shot creation since Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons joined the team. Harden resolves that issue immediately. 

So why are these numbers still so low? A combination of things. For starters, the model isn't sold on Philadelphia's revamped roster as is, and as much as adding Harden would help offensively, it would hurt just as much defensively. Simmons is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He should not be traded lightly. The 76ers would have to like their chances far more than this model does to make the deal. Perhaps their own internal modeling has yielded similar results, explaining their hesitance to include the 24-year-old Simmons in a deal for an older star in Harden. 

The trade: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Andre Iguodala and Kelly Olynyk for James Harden

Heat	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	7	89.2%	5.3%	24.9%
After trade	10	82.7%	1.8%	18.4%

Here we have the first preferred Harden destination that actually gets worse mathematically by adding him. That largely stems from the preexisting roster ... and the one Harden would inherit. Individual shot creation isn't a weakness for this team. It's something the Heat would have in abundance through Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic even before factoring in Harden. What they'd miss would be 3-point shooting. They finished second in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season, but the four players they are losing here accounted for over 50 percent of their made 3s last season.

Harden is used to playing with shooting, but in Butler and Bam Adebayo, he'd have at least two teammates that practically never attempt 3s, and most of the remaining holdovers specialize in other areas. Factor in some defensive decline, and this makes sense. The fit here is complicated. Now, might the talent be so overwhelming that it doesn't matter? Sure. The Heat might be able to solve the rest of the roster as well. This is Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra we're talking about, after all. But this is no slam dunk. It would take some rejiggering that even one of the NBA's best organizations could struggle to do within the span of a single season. 

Trade 1: Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton and Gary Harris for James Harden

Nuggets	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	11	85.9%	3.3%	24.8%
After trade	14	67.2%	1.4%	22.4%

Trade 2: Jamal Murray and Will Barton for James Harden

Nuggets	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	11	85.9%	3.3%	24.8%
After trade	12	76.1%	2.3%	24.2%

This is probably the most surprising set of results in the batch. The Nuggets get worse in both iterations of the deal, and yet, despite Porter's inconsistency, the model likes his version of the team than Murray's. That likely has something to do with Harris remaining in Denver in the Murray deal (as Murray's higher cap number doesn't necessitate his inclusion), but there's also the redundancy of pairing Murray and Harden in the same backcourt to consider. 

Murray isn't an elite shooter. Neither, for that matter, is Nikola Jokic. Porter might become one, and Barton has developed into a decent one, but Denver has never prioritized shooting in its lineup choices or offensive scheme development. That makes it an odd Harden destination, especially since Denver, like Brooklyn, really doesn't need to improve offensively. The idea here would be to become so dominant offensively that defense no longer matters. The raw talent suggests that would be possible. The limited aggregate shooting, especially compared to Brooklyn, makes it unlikely. It would also disturb the tidy Jokic-Murray-Porter timeline. If Denver trades for Harden and it doesn't work out, the Nuggets have fired their best bullet without hitting the target. The risk factor would be higher for the Nuggets than most teams, and that likely informs their tepid interest to this point. 

The trade: Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart for James Harden

Celtics	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	5	93.3%	5.1%	12.4%
After trade	4	94.7%	8.4%	17%

The structure of this deal would leave the Celtics in a fairly similar situation to Brooklyn's after a Harden trade. Boston would have three elite offensive players in Harden, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. Its defense would decline, but is thankfully starting from a fairly high point. Some shooting concerns might linger, and the Celtics would need one of their young players on the bench to pop to make up for the enormous loss in crunch-time minutes this deal enforces, but no team in this thought experiment sees a greater overall gain in championship odds by acquiring Harden than Boston. 

The trade: CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr. and Zach Collins for James Harden

Blazers	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	16	55%	0.9%	17.6%
After trade	17	40.7%	0.7%	20.6%

Yet another deal that could backfire on the acquiring team. The upgrade from McCollum to Harden would be meaningful to most teams, but the Blazers already have Damian Lillard. Individual shot creation isn't a need, though Lillard would function well in an off-ball role much as Stephen Curry has. Portland has a fair bit of depth, but losing Trent, its best defensive guard (and a budding star shooter) would be significant especially when you factor in his fit with virtually any ball-dominant guard. 

Throw in Collins, and Portland's gains here would be limited compared to its losses. There's also the reality that, at this moment, Portland is not close to championship contention. Does it make sense for it to give up two talented youngsters to get better if being better doesn't lead to championship contention? That's a matter of debate. 

The trade: Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell for James Harden

Raptors	Power ranking	Playoff percentage	Championship percentage	Percentage chance of beating Lakers
Before trade	12	83.3%	1.9%	17.8%
After trade	15	69.4%	0.8%	15.2%

The numbers aren't kind on a possible Toronto deal, and much of that lies in the theoretical redundancy of having three ball-handling guards. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet can both shoot and function off the ball, but lose value in a Harden-centric offense. The defense would decline as well, and it's worth noting that as problematic as their lack of shot creation proved in the playoffs, this team had a better record than the Lakers in the 2019-20 regular season. Room for growth is minimal, and it would likely come in a frontcourt that just lost Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. 

How do the Rockets fare?

Here's the most surprising takeaway from this project: Literally every deal listed above actually helps the Rockets in the short term, according to these simulations. There are a number of possible explanations for that. Virtually every trade sends the Rockets, a team sorely lacking in depth, multiple valuable players. Most of them furnish the Rockets with extra shooting as well, which becomes even more valuable on a team run by John Wall. Taking Harden off a defense never hurts either. 

No trade makes the Rockets a realistic championship contender. If the Rockets prioritize draft capital over immediate talent, any chance of them pulling off a surprise season like the one Oklahoma City just had fades. But with the right additions, these numbers suggest that these Rockets don't need to tank after trading. They can remain somewhat competitive if that is their goal. 

Overall takeaways

Take a look at the far right column in those tables. Every number is below 50 percent, which, in a sense, makes the argument that no team should trade for James Harden because no feasible James Harden destination would be favored in a matchup with the Lakers even after adding him. They may not be a Warriors-caliber favorite, but their preseason championship odds according to Oh (35.8 percent) more than doubled any other team's (the Bucks came in second at 16.9 percent).

There's an argument to be made here that the acquiring team doesn't necessarily need to believe it is better than the Lakers to make the trade. Seasons are long. Players get hurt. Secondary trades can be made. Shooting luck plays a greater role in all of this than anyone wants to acknowledge. But if a team is going to trade a significant package of long-term assets, it needs to at least believe it is in the same ballpark as the defending champions. Only the Nets reach a 30 percent chance by adding Harden, and they were there to begin with.

That brings up the broader question of how much value Harden actually brings to the kinds of contenders that will try to add him. The short answer is, we don't fully know. Oh's simulations tend not to love Harden. He's a good defender only in a very specific role that few teams can accommodate, and outside of that role, he has largely struggled. While his efficiency is extremely impressive relative to his scoring volume, overall, it isn't great. Harden has played such a distinct form of basketball over the past several years that trying to assess his value on a normal team is almost impossible. 

His impact on a basketball game just can't be fully quantified. Harden's individual numbers almost have to be separated from the numbers his teams post as a whole. His offense is almost always in the top five primarily because he's in it. The amount of attention he draws from opposing defenders makes life easier for teammates on a scale few players in NBA history have ever matched. He might be more efficient playing alongside better players. A lighter scoring load might improve his defense. He's proven capable at times on both fronts. 

Every team in the running for Harden will weigh these factors differently. What this exercise should tell you is how very complicated a Harden trade would ultimately be. Throwing him into any existing ecosystem would create some degree of chaos. Doing so, by itself, wouldn't necessarily be a slam dunk. The team in question would have to carefully reorganize its roster and playing style to optimize him. After years of doing so, Houston would argue that it is well worth the risks. Whether the rest of the NBA agrees remains to be seen. 

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Cold stress: Why you need to recognize it - Central Wisconsin News - CW Media

Excessive loss of body heat can lead to illness, injury, even death

What is cold stress and why should farmers and ranchers be aware of its symptoms?

Cold stress occurs when skin temperature, and eventually internal body temperature, decreases during exposure to cold temperatures. Near freezing temperatures, especially when combined with increased wind speed, cause heat to leave the body. Wetness, dampness – even from body sweat – also expedites loss of body heat. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur.

Anyone working outside in cold and windy conditions is at risk for cold stress. When working outside, it’s important to be aware of air temperature and wind chill factors to gauge the level of cold stress risk.

Factors that increase the risk of cold stress include:

• Wetness/dampness

• Improper dress

• Exhaustion

• Predisposing health conditions such as hypertension, hypothyroidism, and diabetes

• Poor physical conditioning The risks of cold stress include permanent tissue damage and death. Types of cold stress include trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia.

Trench foot is a non-freezing injury of the feet caused by prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. This injury may occur in temperatures as high as 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) if feet are constantly wet since wet feet lose heat 25 times faster than dry feet.

Trench foot symptoms include reddening skin, tingling, pain, swelling, leg cramps, numbness, and blisters.

If trench foot injury is suspected, call 911 or seek medical assistance as soon as possible. Remove wet shoes/boots and socks. Dry the feet and avoid standing or walking. Keep affected feet elevated until medical help is available.

Frostbite occurs when skin and tissues freeze. It may lead to permanent damage to the body, including amputation in severe cases.

Risk of frostbite is increased for people with reduced blood circulation or those who aren’t dressed to withstand cold temperatures.

Symptoms of frostbite include reddened skin and development of gray-white patches in fingers, toes, nose or ear lobes. Tingling, aching, loss of feeling, hardening of the skin and blisters may occur in affected areas.

If these symptoms occur, follow these first aid guidelines: • Protect the frostbitten area by loosely wrapping a dry cloth around it. Protect the area from contact until medical help is available.

• Do NOT rub the affected area. Doing so causes damage to both the skin and underlying tissue.

• Do NOT apply snow or water to the affected area.

• Do NOT break blisters.

• Do NOT try to re-warm the frostbitten with heating pads or warm water before getting medical assistance. If a frostbitten area is rewarmed and then frozen again, tissue damage may increase. The safest practice is to allow medical professionals to rewarm the affected area.

Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees (Fahrenheit). Prolonged exposure eventually uses up the body’s stored energy and the body may begin losing heat faster than it can warm itself. When body temperature drops to less than 95 degrees (Fahrenheit), hypothermia occurs. This condition is most likely to occur at very cold temperatures, but it may happen even at temperatures above 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or immersion in cold water.

Symptoms of hypothermia include:

• Uncontrolled shivering

• Loss of physical coordination

• Confusion

• Slurred speech

• Slowing of heart rate/breathing

• Unconsciousness

• Death Shivering indicates that the body is losing heat. While it helps the body rewarm itself, uncontrolled shivering should not be ignored. The affected person may not realize what’s happening to them since low body temperature adversely affects the brain, causing a victim to lose the ability to think clearly or move well, making hypothermia a particularly dangerous result of cold stress.

If hypothermia is suspected, follow these first aid guidelines:

• Call 911 immediately in an emergency.

• Move the affected person to a warm, dry area.

• Remove any wet clothing and replace it with dry clothing.

• Wrap the entire body (including head and neck) in layers of blankets and with a vapor barrier (i.e. tarp, garbage bag). Do not cover the victim’s face.

If medical help is more than 30 minutes away:

• Unless the victim is unconscious, give warm sweetened drinks to help increase body temperature. Do not use alcoholic beverages.

• Place warm bottles or hot packs in armpits, sides of chest, and groin. Call 911 for additional rewarming instructions.

Victims of hypothermia may stop breathing. In that case:

• Call 911 immediately.

• Treat the victim as per the hypothermia instructions here, but do not attempt to give them any fluids.

• For 60 seconds check the affected person for breathing and pulse.

• If after 60 seconds no breathing or pulse is detected, a trained person may initiate rescue breaths for 3 minutes.

• Check again for 60 seconds to detect breathing or pulse.

• If there is no breath or pulse, continue rescue breathing.

• Consult the 911 operator or emergency medical services before initiating chest compressions.

• Periodically reassess the person’s physical status.

To help prevent cold stress, recognize the weather and environmental conditions that may lead to cold stress. Learn about and know how to recognize symptoms of cold stress and the appropriate first aid responses.

Additional cold stress prevention steps:

• Know how to select proper clothing for cold, wet, and windy conditions.

• Regularly monitor your and/or coworker’s physical conditions.

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British lawmakers approve post-Brexit trade deal with EU - The Associated Press

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Parliament voted resoundingly on Wednesday to approve a trade deal with the European Union, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the U.K.’s long and divisive Brexit journey.

With just a day to spare, lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 521-73 in favor of the agreement sealed between the U.K. government and the EU last week.

Brexit enthusiasts in Parliament praised it as a reclamation of independence from the bloc. Pro-Europeans lamented its failure to preserve seamless trade with Britain’s biggest economic partner. But the vast majority in the divided Commons agreed that it was better than the alternative of a chaotic rupture with the EU.

Late Wednesday evening, Parliament’s upper chamber, the unelected House of Lords, also backed the deal. It will become British law within hours, once it has received the formality of royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II.

The U.K. left the EU almost a year ago, but remained within the bloc’s economic embrace during a transition period that ends at midnight Brussels time —- 11 p.m. in London — on Thursday.

The day before departure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the hard-won agreement during a brief ceremony in Brussels.

“The agreement that we signed today is the result of months of intense negotiations in which the European Union has displayed an unprecedented level of unity,” Michel said. “It is a fair and balanced agreement that fully protects the fundamental interests of the European Union and creates stability and predictability for citizens and companies.”

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The documents were then flown by Royal Air Force plane to London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson added his signature in a photo opportunity in front of a row of Union Jack flags.

The European Parliament also must sign off on the agreement, but is not expected to get to it for several weeks.

Johnson told legislators that the deal heralded “a new relationship between Britain and the EU as sovereign equals.”

It has been 4 1/2 years since Britain voted 52% to 48% to leave the bloc it had joined in 1973. Brexit started on Jan. 31 of this year, but the real repercussions of that decision have yet to be felt, since the U.K.’s economic relationship with the EU remained unchanged during the 11-month transition period that ends Dec. 31.

Big changes are coming on New Year’s Day. The agreement, hammered out after more than nine months of tense negotiations and sealed on Christmas Eve, will ensure Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds ($894 billion) in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.

But the end to Britain’s membership in the EU’s vast single market and customs union will still bring inconvenience and new expense for both individuals and businesses — from the need for tourists to have travel insurance to the millions of new customs declarations that firms will have to fill out.

Brexit supporters, including Johnson, say any short-term pain will be worth it.

Johnson said the Brexit deal would turn Britain from “a half-hearted, sometimes obstructive member of the EU” into “a friendly neighbor — the best friend and ally the EU could have.”

He said Britain would now “trade and cooperate with our European neighbors on the closest terms of friendship and goodwill, whilst retaining sovereign control of our laws and our national destiny.”

Some lawmakers grumbled about being given only five hours in Parliament to scrutinize a 1,200-page deal that will mean profound changes for Britain’s economy and society. But support among legislators —- most of whom debated and voted from home because of virus restrictions — was overwhelming, if not always enthusiastic.

The powerful euroskeptic wing of Johnson’s Conservative Party, which fought for years for the seemingly longshot goal of taking Britain out of the EU, gave its backing to the deal.

The strongly pro-EU Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party voted against. But the main opposition Labour Party, which had sought a closer relationship with the bloc, said it would vote for the agreement because even a thin deal was better than a chaotic no-deal rupture.

“We have only one day before the end of the transition period, and it’s the only deal that we have,” said Labour leader Keir Starmer. “It’s a basis to build on in the years to come.”

Former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who resigned in 2019 after three years of Brexit acrimony in Parliament, said she would vote for Johnson’s agreement. But she said it was worse than the one she had negotiated with the bloc, which lawmakers repeatedly rejected.

She noted that the deal protected trade in goods but did not cover services, which account for 80% of Britain’s economy.

“We have a deal in trade, which benefits the EU, but not a deal in services, which would have benefitted the U.K.,” May said.

___

Petrequin reported from Brussels.

___

Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

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Stock futures trade higher ahead of final trading day of year - Fox Business

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UBS Wealth Management USA Senior Portfolio Manager Alan Rechtschaffen advises investors to look out for ‘positivity, POTUS, Powell, pathogens and preparation’ in next year’s markets.

U.S. equity futures have turned higher ahead of the final opening bell of the year on Wall Street.

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All three futures indexes suggest a gain of 0.1% when trading begins.

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It will be a full trading day on the final day of 2020.

Traders will get one last economic report to end the year in the form of initial jobless claims for last week. Watch for an increase of 30,000 to 833,000. Continuing claims, which track the total number of unemployed workers collecting benefits, are anticipated to rise slightly to 5.39 million. That’s up from the previous week’s reading of 5.338 million, which was the lowest since March 21.

In Europe, London's FTSE was down 1.1% and France's CAC declined 0.1%. German markets were closed.

GOLD, OIL SET TO POWER 2021 BOOM IN RAW MATERIALS

In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3%. China's Shanghai Composite gained 1.7%. Trading was closed in Tokyo.

The Tokyo exchange marked the end of trading for the year Wednesday, with the Nikkei falling 0.5%, and trading will not reopen until Monday next week. Global markets will be closed New Year’s Day.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
I:DJI	DOW JONES AVERAGES	30381.49	-28.07	-0.09%
SP500	S&P 500	3729.69	-2.35	-0.06%
I:COMP	NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX	12843.590305	-26.41	-0.21%

On Wall Street, stocks eked out modest gains Wednesday, keeping the major stock indexes on Wall Street at or near record highs.

Energy and materials companies led the gains. Industrial and financial stocks also had a strong showing. Small-company stocks again outpaced their larger rivals, a sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy.

The S&P 500 index rose 5 points, or 0.1% to 3,732.04. The Dow gained 73.89 points, or 0.2%, to 30,409.56. The Nasdaq composite picked up 19.78 points, or 0.2%, to 12,870.

Ahead of the final day of trading in 2020, the S&P 500 is up 15.5% this year, while the Nasdaq is up 43.4%.

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In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude slipped 32 cents to $48.08 a barrel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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China scores an EU investment deal before Biden takes office — and it wants to do more - CNBC

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping are seen on a screen during a video conference to approve an investment pact between China and the European Union on December 30, 2020.

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BEIJING —  China wrapped negotiations with the European Union on an important investment deal and talked up hopes for more, less than a month before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office.

China and the European Commission announced Wednesday that the two sides finished talks around a "Comprehensive Agreement on Investment" that gives each region's businesses more access to the other's market.

Both sides rushed to get a deal done — Biden is widely expected to marshal the support of traditional American allies to put pressure on China after he takes office, in contrast to the Trump administration. On the European side, there was a desire to finish an agreement before the end of Angela Merkel's term as German chancellor in 2021, according to a source with the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Negotiations had stalled this year, prior to the U.S. presidential election.

The crucial point at the moment is how the EU and the US work better together to manage relations with China, and I think there's a real prospect for that with a Biden administration.

Fred Kempe

president and CEO of the Atlantic Council

The EC said China agreed to prohibit "distortive practices" including forced technology transfers — the practice of making companies hand over proprietary tech in exchange for access to the Chinese market.

"China has committed to an unprecedented level of market access for EU investors, giving European businesses certainty and predictability for their operations," the European Council said in a release.

"The Agreement will also significantly improve the level playing field for EU investors by laying down clear obligations on Chinese state-owned enterprises, prohibiting forced technology transfers and other distortive practices, and enhancing transparency of subsidies," the statement said.

The Chinese side reinforced that the two parties agreed on that list of contentious issues — all of which have been raised previously by the United States. The U.S. and China have been locked in a trade war for more than two years, with the dispute spilling into technology, finance and beyond.

Late-night press conference

At a late-night press conference on Wednesday, China's Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Gao Feng signaled that the deal could help set the stage for restoring normal trade relations with the U.S., under certain conditions.

However, part of the rising U.S. frustration is that China has not always lived up to its agreements in the way negotiators initially hoped.

"The crucial point at the moment is how the EU and the U.S. work better together to manage relations with China, and I think there's a real prospect for that with a Biden administration," said Fred Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council. "The question I would ask is, does this agreement advance that or set it back."

"What the EU will have to do is argue to Washington [that] the standards in this agreement are such that [the United States] would approve of them as well," Kempe said.

China stays busy striking deals

Beijing has fallen short of the purchases of U.S. imports it agreed to in a so-called "phase one" trade deal it reached with the U.S. in January, according to analysis from the Peterson Institute for International Economics. That truce in the trade war had mandated greater U.S. access to markets such as China's finance industry. 

Progress toward a "phase two" deal stalled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysts have pointed out that Beijing wants to build further agreements both to diversify its trading partners and to prepare for a new U.S. approach under Biden. Already this fall, China and 14 other countries — but not including the United States — formed the largest trade pact in history when they signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. 

At the beginning of 2017, the U.S. was set to lead an almost identical Asia-Pacific deal that excluded China, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. But Trump scuttled the TPP immediately after his inauguration. It had been negotiated by the Obama Administration.

Gao took the time Wednesday to tell reporters about hopes for deals with other countries. He emphasized China's plans for a new trade agreement with Japan and South Korea. He added China would like to deepen existing agreements with countries such as Singapore, Chile and New Zealand.

Perhaps significantly, Gao did not mention Australia — one of the few developed nations that enjoys a trade surplus with China. Australia drew Beijing's anger this year by joining with other countries in demanding an investigation into the origin of Covid-19.

'Not a deal against America'

The EU-China investment deal, about seven years in the making, still needs to be translated and reviewed before being signed. A possible sticking point for the Europeans is alleged forced labor in China's Xinjiang region. China has committed to work toward ratification of International Labour Organization conventions including one on forced labor.

Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said that "for the European side it was really bilateral. It was an attempt to conclude negotiations. This is not a deal against America." 

Wuttke added the talks showed "real improvement in market access" for European businesses and there will be "more openness" in industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and finance.

Li Yongjie, an official for treaty and law at the Commerce Ministry, said during Wednesday's press conference the deal will permit more European investment in services and non-services industries, and mentioned sectors such as automobiles, hospitals and information technology.

The agreement provides legally binding commitments for China to access the European market, she said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a video conference call Wednesday at the end of the negotiations to discuss the talks.

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What 49ers need to happen in Week 17 to earn top-10 draft pick - NBC Sports Bay Area

On the surface, the 49ers' Week 16 upset win over the Arizona Cardinals was impressive. It showed that despite all the adversity this season has thrown at them, the 49ers refused to quit against a division rival with playoff hopes.

On the flip side, that win also knocked the 49ers down the 2021 NFL Draft board. The 49ers currently sit at No. 15 in the rankings after the New England Patriots' Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills. You'll see some boards that have the 49ers ahead of the Patriots, but those haven't taken into account the Week 17 opponent for both teams. With the 49ers facing the 11-4 Seattle Seahawks and the Patriots facing the 2-13 New York Jets, the Patriots' strength of schedule dips below the 49ers and gives them the tiebreaker.

Now, No. 15 isn't an ideal position to be in for a team that might want to draft a quarterback. There's a good chance that the top-four quarterbacks will be off the board in the top 10. Regardless of where you stand on the quarterback position, everyone can agree that getting the best possible pick out of this forgettable season is the most ideal scenario for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.

The 49ers, while sitting at No. 15 now, do have an outside chance to move all the way into the top 10 of the draft depending on how the chips fall in Week 17. Right now, the 49ers are tied with the Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers. All four of those teams own the tiebreaker over the 49ers due to a worse strength of schedule. You can thank the NFC West for that.

The Denver Broncos at 5-10, also factor into the equation heading into Sunday's action. The Carolina Panthers likewise sit at 5-10 but there doesn't appear to be a scenario where the 49ers' strength of schedule would finish below Carolina's.

Let's also keep in mind that the Washington Football Team (6-9) could factor into the equation, but as the current NFC East leader they can not get a top-18 pick. Whoever wins the god awful NFC East will immediately drop below the 49ers.

So, here's what the best-case Week 17 scenario would be for the 49ers, obviously starting with a loss to the Seahawks to finish at 6-10.

-- Patriots beat Jets to move to 7-9 -- Cowboys beat New York Giants to move to 7-9 -- Vikings beat Detroit Lions to move to 7-9 -- Chargers beat Kansas City Chiefs to move to 7-9 -- Broncos beat Raiders to move to 6-10

Under this scenario, the Broncos would still have a stronger strength of schedule than the 49ers which means San Francisco would finish with the No. 10 pick and the Broncos at No. 11. Now, you could also hope the Panthers upset the Saints, creating a three-way tie for Nos. 9-11, but I still think the Panthers would edge the 49ers for the No. 9 pick. But, I am a journalist and not a beautiful mind so the math could be off.

So, how likely is all of this?

Let's start with the first part: The 49ers will have at least 15 players on IR on Sunday and five more are not expected to play, including Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk. The gutty win over the Cardinals was nice, but I don't think they have another upset in them against a Seahawks team still playing for seeding.

That's one. The Patriots' offense has been an eyesore all season and the Jets are frisky. Having locked up the No. 2 pick, there's no doubt the Jets will be looking to end their season on a high note. Bill Belichick has deep-seated hate for Gang Green, so don't expect him to trot out Jarrett Stidham to improve his draft position. Although, are we sure Stidham is worse than Cam Newton? Anyway, I still think it's likely the Patriots knock off the Jets.

The Vikings are a bad football team. The Lions are worse. Minnesota won't have Dalvin Cook. Matthew Stafford is 50-50 to play. The Vikings should have enough to beat the Lions even without Cook.

There's no doubt the Cowboys can beat the Giants. But the NFC East has been impossible to figure out, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Daniel Jones spoil Dallas' playoff hopes. Keep an eye on that one.

Can the Chargers beat the Chiefs? Well, Patrick Mahomes isn't going to play, and you won't see Travis Kelce or Tyreek Hill either. Justin Herbert almost beat the Chiefs in his first start with no prep. He can knock off the B team. But trusting Anthony Lynn is a dicey proposition.

That brings us to the Broncos. Drew Lock has been statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in football this season. But Denver keeps playing hard for Vic Fangio and the Raiders are a clown car engulfed in flames rolling through the finish line. I think this one has a good shot of happening.

RELATED: Schrock's Week 17 picks: Can 49ers finish season on high note?

In all reality, I think the 49ers split the difference, get a few of the needed results and finish around No. 12. That's not an awful place to be, especially for a team that will be looking at a cornerback or edge rusher with the top quarterbacks off the board.

But there's at least a shot the 49ers leave Sunday with the No. 10 pick in the draft. A nice consolation prize for a season that never got out of the starting blocks.

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Neither human rights concerns nor US disapproval could stop the EU-China trade deal - CNN

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Ahead of the agreement, which will give European companies greater access to Chinese markets, a senior aide to US President-elect Joe Biden had urged EU leaders to wait and address shared concerns about Beijing with the incoming administration.

That Washington's European allies plowed ahead casts doubt on Biden's future ability to build a coalition of like-minded countries to counter Beijing, particularly if the EU, the world's single-largest trading bloc, becomes even more closely tied to China's economy.

Forced labor arguments

Growing criticism over allegations of forced labor in the western region of Xinjiang, where rights groups say up to 2 million members of predominantly Muslim minority groups have been detained in "reeducation" camps, had threatened to complicate, if not scupper, the deal.

China has consistently denied accusations of forced labor and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

"The stories coming out of Xinjiang are pure horror. The story in Brussels is we're ready to sign an investment treaty with China," European lawmaker Guy Verhofstadt said on Twitter Wednesday. "Under these circumstances any Chinese signature on human rights is not worth the paper it is written on."

EU leaders have framed the deal as one of simple reciprocal market access, similar to the "Phase 1" agreement between the US and China agreed under US President Donald Trump. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tweeted on Wednesday that the agreement will "uphold our interests" and "promote our core values." Similarly, the EU has maintained that the agreement provides a "lever" to press China on forced labor.

Under the agreement, China has committed to "work towards" the ratification of outstanding International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions against forced labor. However, critics have pointed to the lack of concrete commitments in this regard, and the fact China was a founding member of the ILO, and the rules in question have been in force for decades, without ratification from Beijing.

Earlier this month, the European Parliament, which is directly elected by citizens of the bloc and separate to the Council and Commission, passed a resolution strongly condemning "the Chinese government-led system of forced labor -- in particular the exploitation of Uyghur, ethnic Kazakh and Kyrgyz, and other Muslim minority groups -- in factories within and outside internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region."

The statement went on to denounce "the continued transfer of forced laborers to other Chinese administrative divisions, and the fact that well-known European brands and companies have been benefiting from forced Chinese labor."

Wednesday's agreement will theoretically give those same companies greater access to China's tightly controlled market, and by extension, potentially to factories alleged to have been using forced labor.

Chinese state media has welcomed the deal, with official news agency Xinhua describing it as a "solid step towards stronger China-EU economic ties."

"The fact that Beijing and Brussels can eventually meet each other half way after many years of negotiations has demonstrated a willingness by both sides to go beyond their differences for the sake of the greater good," Xinhua said in an editorial, adding "the lead up to this milestone breakthrough has been fraught with difficulty."

The Xinhua report made no mention of forced labor.

The Global Times, a nationalist state-run tabloid, said the deal was "a New Year gift from China and the EU to the whole world," and criticized those who "chatter about geopolitics and values (when) what the public cares about the most is peaceful development."

EU-China trade deal sidelines US

European leaders would hardly be the first to hold their noses over China's human rights record in favor of economic gains. Washington strongly supported Beijing's entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000, despite then US President Bill Clinton having previously described China's leaders as "butchers" over the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Under Trump, who has blown hot and cold on China, human rights have been prioritized in the past year, but took something of a backseat as a trade deal with Beijing looked likely. According to Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019, the American leader told Xi to "go ahead with building the camps" in Xinjiang and said he didn't "want to get involved" in ongoing protests in Hong Kong.

Trump's recent campaign against China, ramped up as the coronavirus pandemic has caused chaos and misery in the US, failed to get much support from Europe. Biden is expected to keep up the pressure on Beijing, albeit with more restrained rhetoric than Trump, partly by leveraging allies to counterbalance China.

The EU said last year that it considers China to be a "strategic competitor" and a "systemic rival," reflecting a recent hardening of attitudes toward the country. Biden has gone even further, describing Xi earlier this year as a "thug" who doesn't have a "democratic ... bone in his body."

That the US could not influence the agreement this week -- with both Biden allies and members of the Trump administration criticizing the proposed deal -- shows how complicated an issue China has become, and how difficult building a transatlantic partnership to contain Beijing might be in practice, even without Trump's often inflammatory rhetoric.

"Leaders in both US political parties and across the US government are perplexed and stunned that the EU is moving towards a new investment treaty right on the eve of a new US administration," Matt Pottinger, Trump's deputy national security adviser and a strong China critic, said Wednesday. "Some European officials and commentators liked to claim that the Trump Administration was an impediment to even deeper transatlantic cooperation. Now it is plain to all that this isn't about President Trump. It's about key European officials. Look in the mirror."

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NFL Draft 2021: What 49ers need to occur in Week 17 to get top-10 pick - Yahoo Sports

What 49ers need to happen in Week 17 to earn top-10 draft pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

On the surface, the 49ers' Week 16 upset win over the Arizona Cardinals was impressive. It showed that despite all the adversity this season has thrown at them, the 49ers refused to quit against a division rival with playoff hopes.

On the flip side, that win also knocked the 49ers down the 2021 NFL Draft board. The 49ers currently sit at No. 15 in the rankings after the New England Patriots' Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills. You'll see some boards that have the 49ers ahead of the Patriots, but those haven't taken into account the Week 17 opponent for both teams. With the 49ers facing the 11-4 Seattle Seahawks and the Patriots facing the 2-13 New York Jets, the Patriots' strength of schedule dips below the 49ers and gives them the tiebreaker.

Now, No. 15 isn't an ideal position to be in for a team that might want to draft a quarterback. There's a good chance that the top-four quarterbacks will be off the board in the top 10. Regardless of where you stand on the quarterback position, everyone can agree that getting the best possible pick out of this forgettable season is the most ideal scenario for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.

The 49ers, while sitting at No. 15 now, do have an outside chance to move all the way into the top 10 of the draft depending on how the chips fall in Week 17. Right now, the 49ers are tied with the Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers. All four of those teams own the tiebreaker over the 49ers due to a worse strength of schedule. You can thank the NFC West for that.

The Denver Broncos at 5-10, also factor into the equation heading into Sunday's action. The Carolina Panthers likewise sit at 5-10 but there doesn't appear to be a scenario where the 49ers' strength of schedule would finish below Carolina's.

Let's also keep in mind that the Washington Football Team (6-9) could factor into the equation, but as the current NFC East leader they can not get a top-18 pick. Whoever wins the god awful NFC East will immediately drop below the 49ers.

So, here's what the best-case Week 17 scenario would be for the 49ers, obviously starting with a loss to the Seahawks to finish at 6-10.

-- Patriots beat Jets to move to 7-9-- Cowboys beat New York Giants to move to 7-9-- Vikings beat Detroit Lions to move to 7-9-- Chargers beat Kansas City Chiefs to move to 7-9-- Broncos beat Raiders to move to 6-10

Under this scenario, the Broncos would still have a stronger strength of schedule than the 49ers which means San Francisco would finish with the No. 10 pick and the Broncos at No. 11. Now, you could also hope the Panthers upset the Saints, creating a three-way tie for Nos. 9-11, but I still think the Panthers would edge the 49ers for the No. 9 pick. But, I am a journalist and not a beautiful mind so the math could be off.

So, how likely is all of this?

Let's start with the first part: The 49ers will have at least 15 players on IR on Sunday and five more are not expected to play, including Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk. The gutty win over the Cardinals was nice, but I don't think they have another upset in them against a Seahawks team still playing for seeding.

That's one. The Patriots' offense has been an eyesore all season and the Jets are frisky. Having locked up the No. 2 pick, there's no doubt the Jets will be looking to end their season on a high note. Bill Belichick has deep-seated hate for Gang Green, so don't expect him to trot out Jarrett Stidham to improve his draft position. Although, are we sure Stidham is worse than Cam Newton? Anyway, I still think it's likely the Patriots knock off the Jets.

The Vikings are a bad football team. The Lions are worse. Minnesota won't have Dalvin Cook. Matthew Stafford is 50-50 to play. The Vikings should have enough to beat the Lions even without Cook.

There's no doubt the Cowboys can beat the GIants. But the NFC East has been impossible to figure out, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Daniel Jones spoil Dallas' playoff hopes. Keep an eye on that one.

Can the Chargers beat the Chiefs? Well, Patrick Mahomes isn't going to play, and you won't see Travis Kelce or Tyreek Hill either. Justin Herbert almost beat the Chiefs in his first start with no prep. He can knock off the B team. But trusting Anthony Lynn is a dicey proposition.

That brings us to the Broncos. Drew Lock has been statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in football this season. But Denver keeps playing hard for VIc Fangio and the Raiders are a clown car engulfed in flames rolling through the finish line. I think this one has a good shot of happening.

RELATED: Schrock's Week 17 picks: Can 49ers finish season on high note?

In all reality, I think the 49ers split the difference, get a few of the needed results and finish around No. 12. That's not an awful place to be, especially for a team that will be looking at a cornerback or edge rusher with the top quarterbacks off the board.

But there's at least a shot the 49ers leave Sunday with the No. 10 pick in the draft. A nice consolation prize for a season that never got out of the starting blocks.

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What will a Francisco Lindor trade look like? Expect these three elements in deflated market - CBS sports.com

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The San Diego Padres made a pair of headline-grabbing trades this week. First netting Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, and then adding Yu Darvish in a swap with the Chicago Cubs. General manager A.J. Preller's wheelin' and dealin' provided an otherwise dull winter with a jolt of excitement. With any luck, more activity will follow.

Presuming that proves to be the case, one important piece of business likely to be resolved by Opening Day involves Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor. The owner of the Fighting Franconas has all but conceded he's unwilling to pay Lindor his worth, as he's more concerned with his profits than his team's chances of winning a pennant. As a result, the onus is now on Cleveland's front office to find the best possible trade for Lindor this winter, lest they risk him walking at year's end for a trifling draft pick.

Though Lindor's situation may appear distinct and separate from the Padres' trades, we believe that San Diego's deals provide a glimpse at the trade market. With that in mind, let's outline three things you're likely to see as part of a Lindor trade, whenever it goes down.

1. No elite prospects

It used to be that a star player would net high-grade prospects, even if said star had only one year remaining on their contract. That's no longer the case. Teams have fetishized service time, surplus value, and financial flexibility to the extent that you oftentimes have a better chance of extracting a dragon's tooth than acquiring an elite prospect. (For the sake of defining terms, "elite" in this article means a top-10 overall prospect.)

The Lindor trade probably won't prove to be the exception -- not when everyone knows Cleveland won't pony up to keep him around, reducing the team's leverage. The Snell and Darvish trades sure weren't exceptions, either, with one scout estimating to CBS Sports that the Padres surrendered maybe just two of the organization's top 10 prospects.

Obviously the quality of the prospect matters more than where they rank within their current organization, but Cleveland fans would be wise to adjust their expectations by looking further down prospect lists when they start building fantasy trades. That doesn't mean Cleveland can't get a good player in the long run (Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber, and Mike Clevinger were non-elite prospects who Cleveland helped turn into All-Star players), just that the headliner seems unlikely to overwhelm on the day of the trade.

2. Portfolio return

You can bet the farm on Cleveland receiving multiple players in exchange for Lindor. That isn't what we mean by "portfolio return"; rather, we mean an intentional targeting of players with various risk factors and arrival dates, including, likely, a player or two who has already broken into the Show.

The Rays, who often operate in a manner similar to their small-market peers, obtained a "portfolio return" in their Snell trade. They received one player with substantive big-league service time (Francisco Mejia), one with some big-league exposure (Luis Patino), one with a few seasons' worth of professional experience (Blake Hunt), and one who hasn't yet played professionally because of the pandemic (Cole Wilcox). 

Cleveland has followed this blueprint in most of its recent big trades, too. Sending Mike Clevinger to San Diego, for example, netted Cleveland six players: three had major-league service time and could slot right in on the roster; one had achieved success in Double-A; and two had yet to play above A-ball. When Cleveland traded Trevor Bauer as part of a three-team swap, it landed five players: one with substantive big-league service time; two with some; one who hadn't pitched above Double-A; and one other who hadn't escaped complex ball. You get the gist.

That kind of intentional spreading can help a team with future roster-planning in more ways than one. Teams always have to be mindful about the Rule 5 Draft and minor-league free agency, and it often behooves them to not have their talent arriving in one or two clusters. A portfolio approach also enables a team to play the odds, and to get a combination of low-risk, medium-reward and high-risk, high-reward players in return.

In Cleveland's case, most of its top prospects are stationed in the low minors. It stands to reason, then, that they might prioritize adding players further along in their development -- that way, they can bridge between the cores of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

3. Big-league help

As noted above, it's probably fair to expect Cleveland to net at least one player in a Lindor trade who has already graced a big-league field. Of course, that doesn't mean the player is going to be a star-caliber contributor -- it's more likely to be a complementary player with three-plus years of team control remaining -- but the player in question could help Cleveland remain somewhat competitive in the season to come.

As counterintuitive as that sounds -- if Cleveland wants to win in 2021, then why would it trade Lindor to begin with? -- the Fighting Franconas' front office deserves credit for resisting the urge to pull the plug entirely as a means of overcoming ownership's self-imposed financial restraints. Dating back to 2013, the only team to win more games than Cleveland has been the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Part of that is because Cleveland plays in a fairly weak division, but part of that is because the organization excels at talent evaluation and at player development. Cleveland fans can only hope that the upcoming Lindor trade will provide the latest instance of those traits at work. Otherwise, the franchise is highly unlikely to remain near the top of the next decade's wins leaderboard. 

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U.K. Parliament Set to Approve Post-Brexit Trade Deal - The New York Times

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Legislators were hurriedly reading through the more than 1,200-page agreement and were expected to vote in favor on Wednesday afternoon.

LONDON — Approval of a trade deal between Britain and the European Union was being hurried through the British Parliament in just a day on Wednesday, a rushed conclusion to a Brexit saga that has divided Britons and convulsed their politics for more than four years.

Lawmakers, recalled from their vacations for the task, were considering more than 1,200 pages of dense legal text that will shape the relationship between Britain and continental Europe for decades to come and prompt the biggest change in the country’s trading ties in recent history.

Despite the absence of time for scrutiny, the agreement is expected to easily pass through the House of Commons, in stark contrast to many knife-edge votes held before last year’s general election when Parliament was gridlocked over Brexit.

The trade agreement, struck by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, came after 11 months of tortuous negotiation and provides tariff-free access for Britain to European markets. It is due to come into force on Friday.

At that point, Britain will leave the European Union’s single market and customs union, severing the economic integration with the bloc forged in recent decades as part of a huge trading area. Britain formally quit the bloc’s political structures in January but opted to remain under its economic rules until the end of the year, pending a trade agreement.

Conservative lawmakers, including a caucus of hard-line Brexit supporters, have rallied behind the deal struck by Mr. Johnson, who won a landslide general election victory last December after promising a relatively distant economic relationship with the bloc and the prioritizing of national sovereignty.

Britain formally quit the political structures of the European Union in January.Andrew Testa for The New York Times

Even the opposition Labour Party ordered its lawmakers to support the agreement on the basis that it is better than nothing, although several are likely to refuse to vote for an agreement that creates new barriers to trade with European nations.

Critics note that Mr. Johnson’s deal secures little for Britain’s important services sector and means added bureaucracy for British businesses exporting to continental Europe that will have to make millions of additional customs declarations.

But Mr. Johnson achieved his political objective by increasing the country’s ability to exert its sovereignty and make decisions without being restricted by European Union institutions such as its Court of Justice.

“Having taken back control of our money, our borders, our laws and our waters by leaving the European Union on Jan. 31, we now seize this moment to forge a fantastic new relationship with our European neighbors based on free trade and friendly cooperation,” Mr. Johnson said as he opened the debate in Parliament.

Some lawmakers are angry at the speed with which they are being asked to make a decision on Brexit — a policy that was intended to restore power to the British Parliament.

But on Wednesday Parliament was effectively presented with a take-it-or-leave-it choice. Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, described Mr. Johnson’s agreement as a “thin deal” with many flaws, but added that “a thin deal is better than no deal.”

Voting against it would lead to a chaotic rupture with the bloc at the end of the week, while supporting the agreement would provide a basis on which to build a better relationship, he added.

The agreement has received provisional approval from the European Union, and a vote is expected in the European Parliament next month. The accord is scheduled to be signed by Mr. Johnson on Wednesday afternoon, so a move by Parliament not to approve the document would plunge the country into legal limbo.

The Port of Dover on the English Channel. Critics note that the deal means added bureaucracy for British businesses exporting to continental Europe.Andrew Testa for The New York Times

That outcome is very unlikely, however. The House of Commons is expected to vote on the deal early on Wednesday afternoon, at which point it goes to the House of Lords, the second, and unelected, chamber of Parliament. Providing that it is approved there too, the process is expected to be completed around midnight.

The agreement has many critics. Representatives of trawler fleets have accused Mr. Johnson of caving in to the European Union over fishing rights, and business leaders fret about the additional costs and administrative burdens resulting from the deal, and by the fact that little was achieved for the services sector, which accounts for about four-fifths of the British economy.

While the European Union exports more goods to Britain than it imports, the reverse is true with services.

Among those who said they would support the deal, but with reservations, was Theresa May, the former prime minister who lost her job after failing, on several occasions, to persuade Parliament to support her plan to extract Britain from the bloc.

Mrs. May attacked the Labour Party for opposing her blueprint from 2019 and pointed to gaps in Mr. Johnson’s agreement.

“We have a deal in trade that benefits the E.U., but not a deal in services which would have benefited the U.K.,” she said.

Ian Blackford, the leader of the Scottish National Party’s lawmakers in Britain’s Parliament, said the agreement would mean “mountains of more bureaucracy” for exporters.

But Brexit supporters praised the prime minister, focusing on sovereignty rather than economics.

William Cash, a Conservative lawmaker who has spent his career opposing European integration, described the deal as a “true turning point in our history” and said that Mr. Johnson had “saved our democracy.”

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EU officials sign Brexit trade deal as UK lawmakers debate - The Associated Press

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LONDON (AP) — On the eve of the U.K.’s seismic economic split from the European Union, British lawmakers were being asked to turn a 1,200-page trade agreement with the bloc into law in a single day on Wednesday.

Just after the EU’s top officials formally signed the hard-won agreement in Brussels, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged legislators in the House of Commons to back a deal that he said heralded “a new relationship between Britain and the EU as sovereign equals.”

The U.K. left the EU almost a year ago, but remained within the bloc’s economic embrace during a transition period that ends at midnight Brussels time — 11 p.m. in London — on Thursday.

The deal will then enter into force, if Britain’s Parliament has approved it. The European Parliament also must sign off on the agreement, but is not expected to do so for several weeks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the agreement during a brief ceremony in Brussels on Wednesday morning. The documents were then being flown by Royal Air Force plane to London for Johnson to add his signature.

“The agreement that we signed today is the result of months of intense negotiations in which the European Union has displayed an unprecedented level of unity,” Michel said. “It is a fair and balanced agreement that fully protects the fundamental interests of the European Union and creates stability and predictability for citizens and companies.”

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It has been four-and-a-half years since Britain voted by 52% to 48% to leave the bloc that it had joined in 1973. The real repercussions of that decision have yet to be felt, since the U.K.’s economic relationship with the EU remained unchanged during the 11-month post-Brexit transition period.

That will change on New Year’s Day. The agreement, hammered out after more than nine months of tense negotiations and sealed on Christmas Eve, will ensure Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds ($894 billion) in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.

But the end to Britain’s membership in the EU’s vast single market and customs union will still bring inconvenience and new expense for both individuals and businesses — from the need for tourists to have travel insurance to the millions of new customs declarations that firms will have to fill out.

Brexit supporters, including Johnson, say any short-term pain will be worth it.

Johnson said the Brexit deal would turn Britain from “a half-hearted, sometimes obstructive member of the EU” into “a friendly neighbor — the best friend and ally the EU could have.”

He said Britain would now “trade and cooperate with our European neighbors on the closest terms of friendship and goodwill, whilst retaining sovereign control of our laws and our national destiny.”

Some lawmakers griped about being given only five hours in Parliament to scrutinize a deal that will mean profound changes for Britain’s economy and society. But it is highly likely to get backing from the House of Commons, where Johnson’s Conservative Party has a large majority.

The party’s powerful euroskeptic wing, which fought for years for the seemingly longshot goal of taking Britain out of the EU, has backed the deal.

The strongly pro-EU Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats plan to vote against the bill. But the main opposition Labour Party, which had sought a closer relationship with the bloc, said it would vote for the agreement because even a thin deal was better than a chaotic no-deal rupture.

“We have only one day before the end of the transition period, and it’s the only deal that we have,” said Labour leader Keir Starmer. “It’s a basis to build on in the years to come.”

Former Prime Minister Theresa May, who resigned in 2019 after three years of Brexit acrimony in Parliament, said she would vote for Johnson’s agreement. But she said it was worse than the one she had negotiated with the bloc, which lawmakers repeatedly rejected.

She noted that the deal protected trade in goods but did not cover services, which account for 80% of Britain’s economy.

“We have a deal in trade, which benefits the EU, but not a deal in services, which would have benefitted the U.K.,” May said.

___

Petrequin reported from Brussels.

___

Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

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