The new government of UK Prime Minister Theresa May has begun exploring possible options for trade deals with third countries, officials say, though the process to formally launch exit negotiations with the EU has not yet been set in motion. The UK premier took office last Wednesday, and shortly thereafter confirmed her cabinet appointments , including Liam Fox as the new Secretary of State for International Trade, as well as David Davis as the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. “As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us,” she said last week upon taking office. May has said that she intends to follow through with the exit negotiations with the EU, stating that “Brexit is Brexit” and that the will of her country’s people must be respected. However, she has suggested that she will not trigger Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon – the formal mechanism for launching such talks – this year, partly due to ongoing discussions with Scotland given the latter’s stated interest in...