Trump confirms trade 'deal' with UK

(The Hill) – President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, a deal that both he and Prime Minister Keir Starmer projected as a major political win.

Trump, referring to the announcement as a “deal,” said it includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially in agriculture by increasing access to U.S. beef, ethanol and other farming products. The specifics are still being finalized.

He also said the U.K. will reduce non-tariff barriers that discriminate against U.S. products and that the U.K. will fast-track American goods through the customs process.

“The final details are being written up in the coming weeks,” Trump said, adding that the deal is “very conclusive” and “so good for both countries.”

Trump made the announcement in the Oval Office, where he was joined via phone by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Vice President Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were also in the room.

“This is now turning out, I think, really to be a great deal for both countries because it will be really great for the U.K. also. So, they’re opening up the country, their country is a little closed and we appreciate that,” Trump said.

The president teased a trade deal Wednesday evening without specifying the other nation involved. He said at the time that there would be a press conference “concerning a MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!”

The Trump administration unveiled sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2, levying a 10% baseline import tax against nearly all other nations. Higher reciprocal tariffs were also imposed on dozens of countries, but those are currently on a 90-day pause, leaving room for negotiations, with the exception of China.

The U.K. did not face reciprocal individualized tariffs but was still subject to the 25% tariff the administration implemented on automobiles, steel and aluminum imports. London did not respond with reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports, as many other countries have.

Starmer — who met with Trump at the White House earlier this year — also hinted at the forthcoming trade announcement with the U.S. in a speech on Thursday.

“As you know, talks with the U.S. have been ongoing — and you’ll hear more about that later today. But make no mistake — I will always act in our national interest," he said.

While the agreement with the U.K. was still being finalized, the White House trumpeted it as a major win for the president, who has for weeks sought to reassure financial markets and consumers nervous over his shifting rhetoric on tariffs and the economy.

It is considered, though, the result of years of trade talks, not a direct result of the “Liberation Day” tariffs. The U.S. carried a $11.9 billion trade surplus in goods with the U.K. in 2024, which ranked the U.K. as the fifth highest surplus among all trade partners. 

“The U.S. and the U.K. have been working for years to try and make a deal, and it never quite got there. It did with this prime minister, so I want to just congratulate you,” Trump said.

Starmer added, “We managed to achieve what many people tried to achieve for many years … and it feels completely historic.”