Reeves to hold talks with US as Trump says ‘no rush’ to strike deals

Friday 18 April 2025 9:46 am
 |  Up to date: 

Friday 18 April 2025 9:47 am

Rachel Reeves has mentioned she’s going to maintain talks with the White Home subsequent week amid efforts to strike a UK-US commerce deal, regardless of Donald Trump downplaying the chance of any imminent agreements.

Britain hopes a deal might help soften the brunt of the US president’s sweeping 10 per cent tariffs on all items imported to America, with the Telegraph reporting that officers in Washington imagine an settlement might be weeks away.

The Chancellor, who will likely be within the US subsequent week for conferences, mentioned “lively negotiations” with the People are nonetheless ongoing.

Requested whether or not the UK is inside three weeks of a deal the Chancellor informed broadcasters on Thursday: “These conversations with our US counterparts are ongoing.

“I will likely be in Washington subsequent week for the Worldwide Financial Fund annual conferences, their spring conferences.

“I may even be having conversations with the US administration while I’m there.

“The important thing factor for the British Authorities is all the time appearing within the UK’s nationwide curiosity, and any deal that’s in a position to be secured will all the time have front-and-centre British nationwide curiosity.”

Nevertheless, in remarks made on Thursday, the US president mentioned he was in “no rush” to succeed in any offers due to the revenues his new tariffs are producing.

Mr Trump mentioned numerous international locations wished to succeed in offers “frankly… greater than I do,” and that any agreements would come “at a sure level”.

However he recommended whereas assembly with Italian premier Giorgia Meloni that it might be straightforward to search out an settlement with the European Union and others.

“We’re in no rush,” Mr Trump mentioned.

A ten% tariff on imports of UK items into the US was imposed earlier this month, alongside a 25% levy on automotive imports.

In the meantime, the US president recommended {that a} date for September was being set for him to go to the King in Britain.

Mr Trump, a recognized admirer of the royal household, had been handed a private invitation from Charles for an “unprecedented” second state go to by Sir Keir Starmer through the Prime Minister’s go to to Washington.

Nevertheless, the Telegraph reported that as an alternative of assembly at Balmoral or Dumfries Home, as beforehand thought, the US chief will as an alternative be hosted at Windsor Citadel.

Ms Reeves was talking from Scunthorpe after the Authorities intervened final weekend to assist the steelworks.

Requested whether or not any deal might see the ten per cent levy lifted, she mentioned: “We’re in lively negotiations in the meanwhile with our US counterparts on an entire vary of points in regards to the tariffs for metal and aluminium, and the automobiles which in fact are at 25 per cent, in addition to the headline tariff price of 10 per cent.”

She added: “Getting a deal throughout an entire vary of areas… (is) essential for British trade and British jobs, and that’s my focus as Chancellor.”

It comes as a former spy chief warned that the UK “could be in hassle” if it was to agree a commerce take care of the US on the expense of China.

Nigel Inkster, the previous deputy head of MI6 mentioned a US-UK deal might negatively influence Britain’s relationship with China, which is a “essential provider” of prescription drugs in each the UK and the US.

Mr Inkster informed BBC Radio 4’s Immediately programme: “If it had been the case that we had such a deal, I believe it might include strings, and a kind of strings could be an expectation that the UK would get with the programme when it got here to China.

“We’ve seen a precursor of this with the Huawei 5G saga, which the People mentioned, you can’t use a Chinese language firm to construct the 5G.

“What must occur is that the Authorities must look far more fastidiously at what constitutes essential nationwide infrastructure, and think about what the dangers are in any given sector.

“And one of many areas right here that worries me quite a bit is the entire pharmaceutical sector, as a result of China is a essential provider of many pharmaceutical merchandise. With out them, we might be in hassle.”

Prescribed drugs are mentioned to be a heated a part of discussions between British and US negotiators, amid Mr Trump’s plans to start imposing tariffs on medicines.

Requested if the Chinese language authorities might change off the availability of important prescription drugs in case of a future dispute, Mr Inkster mentioned: “It could be an extremely highly effective lever.

“China has, I believe, a reasonably clear observe file of readiness to make use of financial coercion.”

Press Affiliation