After years of negotiations following Britain’s exit from the European Union, the long-awaited trade deal between the United Kingdom and the United States may be imminent.
Three insiders close to Donald Trump have signalled that the President is poised to unveil the deal on Thursday, after making hints at a major announcement on trade. On Truth Social, Trump alluded to a “major trade deal” with a “big, and highly respected country.”
However, anonymous administration officials told the New York Times that the hinted at nation is none other than the UK, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on the verge of sealing a transatlantic trade deal with Trump.
Trump indicated in a post on Truth Social that the “major” announcement is scheduled for 10am local time, or approximately 3pm GMT.
Both the British Embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment on these assertions reported by the New York Times.
Securing this deal would represent a significant triumph for Trump’s administration, which has been grappling with the economic fallout from an American tariff war. The conflict has led to toy scarcities and a shortfall of pencils for schools, placing Trump in the defensive.
Any deal would also represent a coup for Starmer, who is under pressure due to the perilous state of the economy, although the fine print of any agreement with the US will be heavily scrutinised.
Initially imposing up to 100 per cent tariffs on various international goods, Trump conceded to market pressure, opting to reduce most tariffs to a standard 10 per cent as part of a ‘pause’.
A comprehensive UK deal has been a key objective for Donald Trump since his initial term, yet he was unable to secure such an agreement before his departure from office in 2020.
Sources close to Trump did not disclose the specifics of what might be encompassed in any economic pact, leaving it uncertain whether contentious topics with the British public, such as chlorinated chicken farming standards, were up for discussion.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance have previously criticised the UK Government for legislation that restricts US tech firms and for what they perceive as issues surrounding freedom of speech.
According to the NYT, the agreement is likely to include regulations on technology and import tariffs on American vehicles. US officials also suggested that the existing 10 per cent blanket tariff on UK goods would persist, irrespective of any trade deal.
For the Labour government, the announcement of a new deal with the US today would signify a bumper week for international trade agreements with major economies, following Tuesday’s announced deal with India on tariffs and employment.