UK, US nearing final stage of trade deal, says PM Starmer
KANANASKIS, Alberta: With key tariff deadlines approaching, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week that finalizing the U.S.-UK trade agreement was now in its last phase and should be completed "very soon."
Speaking ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer emphasized the importance of completing the deal.
"I'm certainly seeing President Trump today, and I'm going to discuss with him our trade deal," Starmer told reporters at the summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
"I'm very pleased that we made that trade deal, and we're in the final stages now of implementation, and I expect that to be completed very soon."
The U.K. was the first nation to secure a tariff-reduction agreement under Trump's second term. The deal includes U.S. concessions on imports of British cars, aluminum, and steel, while Britain agreed to lower duties on American beef and ethanol.
Although agreed last month, the implementation of the pact has faced delays as negotiators work through final details.
Under the deal, the U.S. will drop the 25 percent tariffs on British steel and aluminum — but only within set quotas and if the imports meet U.S. supply chain requirements.
While the agreement spared Britain from facing blanket tariffs of up to 50 percent recently imposed on other countries, that exemption could expire after July 9 if implementation is not completed in time.
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