Donald Trump hails UK commerce deal – as PM agrees concessions on meals and agriculture

Donald Trump has hailed the commerce take care of the UK as “full and complete” as he promised it might cement the connection between the 2 international locations for “years to come back”.

The US president stated it was a “nice honour” to strike an settlement with the UK and stated offers with different international locations would quickly observe.

Posting on the Reality Social web site, Mr Trump stated: “The settlement with the UK is a full and complete one that may cement the connection between america and the UK for a few years to come back.

“Due to our very long time historical past and allegiance collectively, it’s a nice honour to have the UK as our FIRST announcement. Many different offers, that are in critical phases of negotiation, to observe!”

Deputy political editor Sam Coates says he understands a “heads of phrases” settlement, basically a preliminary association, has been agreed, which is a “substantive” step in direction of a full deal.

No bodily UK-US commerce doc is predicted to be signed immediately consequently.

Comply with reside: UK-US commerce deal

Whereas the main points are but to emerge, Sky Information enterprise correspondent Paul Kelso understands the UK has agreed to present some concessions on meals and agriculture imports from america to safe an easing of export tariffs for the automotive business.

Kelso stated the “heads of phrases” deal seems to be coming right down to what the UK can safe by the use of concessions on tariffs.

Nevertheless, the UK has all the time maintained that it has “crimson strains” on decreasing British meals requirements.

Shortly after the New York Instances report emerged, the worth of the British pound rose by 0.4% in opposition to the US greenback.

‘Renewal for our nation’

Mr Trump stated “this needs to be a really massive and thrilling day” for the US and UK, in a submit on Reality Social on Thursday, including there could be an announcement within the Oval Workplace at 10am native time (3pm UK time).

In the meantime, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “ship safety and renewal for our nation” forward of an anticipated press convention this afternoon.

Chatting with the London defence convention, Sir Keir stated: “Talks with the US have been ongoing and you will hear extra from me about that later immediately.

“However make no mistake, I’ll all the time act in our nationwide curiosity, for staff, companies and households, to ship safety and renewal for our nation.”

Senior Trump officers have been participating in a flurry of conferences with buying and selling companions since the US president introduced his “liberation day” tariffs on each the US’ geopolitical rivals and allies on 2 April.

Mr Trump imposed a ten% tariff on most international locations together with the UK in the course of the announcement, together with greater “reciprocal” tariff charges for a lot of buying and selling companions.

Nevertheless, these reciprocal tariffs had been later suspended for 90 days.

Britain was not among the many international locations hit with the upper reciprocal tariffs as a result of it imports extra from the US than it exports there.

Nevertheless, the UK was nonetheless impacted by a 25% tariff on all automobiles and all metal and aluminium imports to the US.

A UK official stated on Tuesday that the 2 international locations had made good progress on a commerce deal that may doubtless embrace decrease tariff quotas on metal and automobiles.

Learn extra:
UK chancellor outlines crimson strains for US commerce deal
Will MPs get a vote on a commerce take care of Donald Trump?

Mr Trump stated the identical day that he and prime administration officers would overview potential commerce offers with different international locations over the following two weeks to resolve which of them to just accept.

Final week, he stated that he has “potential” commerce offers with India, South Korea and Japan.

Requested on Sky Information’ Breakfast programme in regards to the UK-EU summit on 19 Could and the way Sir Keir would stability relationships with the US and EU, Coates stated: “I feel it’s politically useful for Keir Starmer to have gotten the heads of phrases, the sort of details of a US-UK commerce deal, nailed down earlier than we see what we’ve negotiated with the EU — or, extra importantly, Donald Trump sees what we’ve negotiated with the EU.”

Coates stated there was “all the time a hazard” that if it occurred the opposite approach round, Mr Trump would “take umbrage” at negotiations with the EU and “downgrade, alter or put us additional again within the queue” when it got here to a UK-US commerce deal.

US and Chinese language officers to debate commerce struggle

It comes because the US and China have been engaged in an escalating commerce struggle since Mr Trump took workplace in January.

The Trump administration has raised tariffs on Chinese language items to 145% whereas Beijing has responded with levies of 125% in current weeks.

US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and US commerce consultant Jamieson Greer are set to fulfill their Chinese language counterparts in Switzerland this week to debate the commerce struggle.

China has made the de-escalation of the tariffs a requirement for commerce negotiations, which the conferences are supposed to assist set up.