UK-US trade talks moving in 'very positive direction', White House confirms

29 April 2025, 06:11

Trade negotiations between the UK and the US are “moving in a very positive way,” the White House has said.

Speaking during a briefing on Monday, Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed discussions are progressing well as the UK continues to seek an economic deal with Washington.

Downing Street hopes any such deal would lessen the impact of Donald Trump’s global campaign of tariffs.

Leavitt said: "As for the trade talks, I understand they are moving in a very positive way with the UK.

"I don't want to get ahead of the president or our trade team in how those negotiations are going, but I have heard they have been very positive and productive with the UK."

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She added Trump is very fond of the UK and always “speaks incredibly highly” of the country.

"He has a good relationship with your prime minister, though they disagree on domestic policy issues," she said.

"I have witnessed the camaraderie between them first hand in the Oval Office, and there is a deep mutual respect between our two countries that certainly the president upholds."

Last week, British Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with her US counterpart and held “positive” trade talks.

The Chancellor met US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent on Friday afternoon, after having claimed Britain’s relationship with the EU is “arguably even more important” than trading links with the US.

Ms Reeves said the discussions had focused on “reaching an agreement that is in both our national interests” in a post on X, formerly Twitter, following the meeting.

“We’re all grappling with this issue of tariffs but I think that there is an understanding why President Trump wants to address some of the global imbalances there are in the system,” she told the broadcaster.

Ms Reeves has said there is “a deal to be done” with Washington, despite suggestions from senior US officials that Trump regards the 10% tariff as a “baseline” he is unlikely to go below.

But she has also ruled out several concessions the US is thought to be looking for as the price of a deal.

These include reductions in food standards rules that limit imports of American agricultural goods and changes to online safety legislation that some US politicians believe limit freedom of speech.

A deal could, however, involve a reduction in tariffs on US cars in exchange for a cut in tariffs on British-made vehicles, with Ms Reeves declining to rule out such a move on Wednesday