FT: Britain could avoid US tariffs after PM Starmer visits Trump

The UK may avoid US tariffs after Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with the US President Donald Trump.

The Financial Times writes about this.

The countries could agree on a format for cooperation that would allow London to avoid tariffs, Trump said. At a press conference at the White House, he acknowledged Prime Minister Starmerʼs persistence, calling him a "very tough negotiator". According to him, the British prime minister "earned his paycheck" trying to convince the US not to impose tariffs.

"We could very well have a real trade deal where tariffs wouldnʼt be necessary. Weʼll see," the US president noted.

Trumpʼs suggestion that the UK could avoid tariffs came just a day after he threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European goods. Hours later, he confirmed that he would impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada, as well as raise tariffs on China.

This is not a full-fledged free trade agreement, but an economic and technological partnership, the FT notes. It is aimed at the gradual integration of economies and expanding cooperation in the field of advanced technologies.

The Trump administration has already identified key negotiators. The president said Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be involved in working out the terms of the deal. Trump hopes the parties will reach an agreement “as soon as possible”.

The prospect of a trade deal between the US and the UK has been under discussion since Britain left the European Union, but all previous talks have failed to yield concrete results. For London, agreements with Washington are key as the UK seeks new economic opportunities after Brexit.

Previous attempts to conclude an agreement between the US and Britain failed. The main obstacles were disagreements in the field of agricultural product regulation: London refused to accept a number of American goods, including products treated with chemicals banned in Britain.

• The tariffs against China went into effect on February 4. At the same time, Trump gave Mexico and Canada a one-month reprieve, until March 4, to try to resolve the situation.

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