President Donald Trump said Thursday “ravi“To announce a trade agreement”historical“With the United Kingdom, which will open its doors more to the American beef and ethanol.
The president has praised an agreement from the White House “historical“, a “major breakthrough“, that he is”ravi“To announce the anniversary of the Allied victory in 1945.
He also said that the agreement provided in particular that the United Kingdom opens more to American products, for “Several billion dollars“, “especially for American beef, ethanol and almost all the products produced by our dear farmers“.
“The agreement with the United Kingdom is total and complete, it will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years“, Launched the tenant of the White House, who must speak at 10:00 am (2:00 pm GMT) in the Oval office, on his Truth Social House.
British Prime minister Keir Starmer for his part greeted “a historic day“.
The spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer – who must also express themselves during the day – refused to say if the latter agreed with the assertion that the agreement is “Total and complete“.
But a source of the British government acknowledged that it was not a full free trade agreement, rather a “General Conditions Document“Establish compromises, as well as a framework for in -depth discussions later – in particular in the pharmaceutical sector.
Under the cover of anonymity, she said that the agreement was focused on specific sectors, including customs duties of 25% applied to steel but especially the automobile.
The prestigious British car manufacturers, such as Bentley, Aston Martin or Jaguar, are on the front line, the United States being their first market outside the EU in 2024 (9 billion pounds, 27.4% of exports).
Several weeks of discussion
London has been discussing for several weeks with the Americans in the hope of reducing customs surcharge on its exports to the United States, mainly taxed up to 10%.
Such an agreement has been a first since Donald Trump has imposed customs duties on the world on goods imported by the United States, before largely reversing before the upheaval of the international economic order.
Washington conducts discussions of this type with several other countries and Donald Trump promised that “Many other agreements (…) will follow“. The opening this weekend in Switzerland of discussions with China is eagerly awaited.
-Questioned by AFP on the agreement with the United States, Jonathan Portes, economist at King’s College in London, imagines nothing other than “A damage limitation operation“For the United Kingdom and certainly not”A real boost to the economy“. Even if, he admits,”It will clearly be a relief for companies“.
Concessions of the British government will be closely scrutinized, in particular if he has agreed to alleviate his digital tax – which targets the American giants and reports 800 million pounds per year – at the very moment when he reduces social allowances to balance his budget.
Labor has never denied the presence on the negotiation table of this symbolic high value tax, especially for Donald Trump, whose great American tech bosses have become close to allies.
Sky News talks about agricultural dealerships.
“I will always act in our national interest, for workers, businesses and families“, promised Keir Starmer on Thursday, two days after announced a trade agreement with India.
Summit with the EU
The United Kingdom, which has returned to its commercial autonomy since its departure from the EU in 2020, has always taken care to spare in its comments the unpredictable American president, just as he was careful not to threaten Washington with any reply to his customs duties.
The country benefits from the fact that the bilateral trade in goods has remained in balance in 2024, according to official statistics, the United Kingdom having imported 57.1 billion pounds of American products, for 59.3 billion exports.
The trade balance, however, is largely leaning in favor of London in terms of services, a sector for the moment on the sidelines of the trade war.
If the United States is the second trading partner in the United Kingdom, it is far behind the EU.
British finance minister Rachel Reeves recently stressed that the commercial relationship with Brussels was “undoubtedly even more important“that with the United States.
London will welcome the presidents of the EU institutions on May 19, the first summit of this type from Brexit.
