During UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s first visit to the White House since the inauguration of US president Donald Trump, the two leaders discussed – amongst other things – a trade deal that may see the UK avoid tariffs from the US, unlike, it seems, the European Union.
Speaking alongside Starmer at a White House press conference on 27 February 2025, Trump said: “We’re going to have a great trade agreement. One way or the other, we’re going to end up with a very good trade agreement for both countries. And we’re working on that as we speak […]
“I think we’ll have something maybe even in terms of possibilities agreed to very shortly […]
“Everyone’s going to work on it. 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.”
Meanwhile, Starmer described his time in the US as “a very good and very productive visit”.
He continued: “We’re leaders together in so many areas, ranked one and two in the world as investment destinations, one and two for universities, one and two for Nobel Prizes, one and two in golf as well, by the way, and we’re the only two Western countries with trillion-dollar tech sectors – leaders in AI.
“And look, we take a similar approach on this issue. Instead of over-regulating these new technologies, we’re seizing the opportunities that they offer. So we’ve decided today to go further, to begin work on a new economic deal with advanced technology at its core.
“There are so many opportunities to keep our nations strong and fulfil the promise of greatness that has always defined this relationship.”
This visit comes shortly after the US president confirmed that the decision had been made to introduce a 25% tariff on the import of goods from the EU to the US, claiming that “the European Union was formed to screw the United States”.
The tariff, he said, would apply to “cars and all other things”, and the US government will be “announcing it very soon”. Trump had previously hinted at such a tariff, describing his belief that the EU had “taken advantage of the US” when it comes to trade.
During the recent press conference, Trump was asked if Starmer had persuaded him not to put tariffs on the UK, to which he responded: “He tried. He was working hard, I’ll tell you that […] 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.”
Entries for the Supply Chain Excellence Awards USA 2025 are open now! These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate excellence in supply chains all across North America.
Entries will be scrutinised by a panel of independent judges, with the rigorous process culminating in a fantastic evening at Emanuel Luxury Venue in Miami Beach Florida, where the much-anticipated winners will be announced.
Enter now for your chance to take home one of the coveted Supply Chain Excellence Awards USA trophies on 16 September 2025!
