The United States and the United Kingdom are expected to announce a trade agreement later today.
In a Thursday morning post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the two countries have reached a “full and comprehensive” agreement. He added, “Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement.”
Trump indicated that more agreements, presumably with other nations, are in advanced stages of negotiation and will be announced soon.
While the specifics of the agreement are still pending official release, a press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET in the Oval Office. It remains unclear whether any trade documents will be signed today.
This trade agreement follows Trump’s imposition of a 10% tariff on the U.K. earlier in the year. Subsequently, many countries faced higher charges when Trump announced his “America First” trade policy in April. The U.K. was exempt from these higher tariffs due to its higher volume of imports from the U.S. than exports to it. These reciprocal tariffs were then temporarily suspended for 90 days. However, the U.K. still faces a 25% tariff on all steel, aluminum, cars, and car parts imported into the U.S.
Many businesses and leaders in the U.K., particularly in the automotive sector, are likely hoping that the trade agreement will lead to reduced tariffs for the U.K.
British government sources have indicated that preliminary agreement on some details has been reached, but a complete deal has not yet been finalized.
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour Party addressed the issue during a defense conference in London on Thursday morning. He stated, “Talks with the U.S. have been ongoing and you’ll hear more from me about that later today,” adding, “But make no mistake, I will always act in our national interest, for workers, businesses and families, to deliver security and renewal for our country.”
Conservative Party member Mark Pritchard and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron have both voiced concerns about the potential effects on agricultural standards and have questioned whether U.K. farmers will be protected.
In response, a government spokesperson said, “We have red lines for not allowing British farmers to be undercut on environmental or welfare standards.”
Trump-Starmer: A brief history of their relationship
Since the beginning of Trump’s second term as President, the two leaders seem to have developed a positive relationship, despite uncertainties surrounding tariffs and differing views on the war in Ukraine.
Trump and Starmer met shortly after Trump began his second term, a meeting that was generally regarded as a promising start to their collaborative relationship as world leaders.
The U.K. Prime Minister presented a letter from King Charles III to the President, inviting Trump for a state visit, which Trump accepted. Trump also spoke with Starmer by phone to discuss tariffs.
“In a moment of real danger around the world, this relationship matters more than ever,” Starmer commented on U.K.-U.S. relations, adding that the two nations’ collaboration leads to success and results.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister in 2024, Starmer’s relationship with Trump was more strained. In January 2016, Starmer said: “We are united in condemning the comments of Donald Trump on issues such as Mexican immigrants, Muslims and women,” adding that he found Trump’s remarks “repugnant.”
In June 2018, Starmer also expressed strong condemnation of the Trump administration’s policy on migrant detention centers, describing it as “shameful” in response to a video depicting separated parents and children.
In October 2024, Trump accused Starmer’s Labour Party of “blatant foreign interference” during the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Starmer defended the actions of Labour Party members volunteering for Kamala Harris’s campaign, stating: “They’re doing it in their spare time. They’re doing it as volunteers.”
Before Starmer’s visit to the White House in February, Trump criticized both him and French President Emmanuel Macron, suggesting they “haven’t done anything” to stop the war in Ukraine.
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