The UK seems set to avoid tariffs on goods imported into the US following Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to The White House.
The Prime Minister met with Donald Trump in Washington DC following his return as US President in January.
“We’re going to have a great trade agreement, one way or another,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to end up with a very good trade agreement for both countries and we are working on that as we speak.
“I think we’ll have something, maybe in terms of possibilities, agreed very shortly.
“We’ll see if we can do something pretty quickly. But we’re going to make some great trade agreements with the UK and with the Prime Minister, and it’ll happen very quickly.”
Any political marriage between right-wing Republican Trump and Labour PM Starmer would seem to be one of necessity, with the former having threatened to impose tariffs on an array of countries in recent weeks. He most recently said he plans to impose a 25% on the European Union, claiming the bloc was created to “screw the United States”.
Starmer acknowledged their political differences. “We have $1.5 trillion invested in each other’s economies, creating over 2.5m jobs across both economies. Our trading relationship is not just strong. It’s fair, balanced and reciprocal,” he said.
“Mr President, it’s no secret we’re from different political traditions, but there’s a lot that we have in common. We believe it’s not taking part that counts. What counts is winning.
“If you don’t win, you don’t deliver, and we’re determined to deliver for the working people of Britain and America who want and deserve to see their lives improve.
“So, we’re both in a hurry to get things done, and that’s what the UK and US do when we work together: we win and we get things done.”
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Trump described Starmer as a “tough negotiator”, adding: “He was working hard, I’ll tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there, but he tried [to convince me not to impose trade tariffs].
“I think there’s a very good chance that in the case of these two great, friendly countries, I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary. We’ll see.”
Starmer, who has placed AI at the centre of the UK’s growth ambitions – in direct contrast with the previous UK government’s narrow focus on safety and regulation – said a new technology-focused economic deal is also in the works.
“Instead of over-regulating new technologies, we’re seizing the opportunities they offer,” he said in The White House.
“We’ve decided today to go further to begin work on a new economic deal with advanced technology at its core.
“Look, our two nations together shaped the great technological innovations of the last century. We have a chance now to do the same for the 21st Century.
“I mean, artificial intelligence could cure cancer. That could be a moonshot for our age, and that’s how we’ll keep delivering for our people.”