British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks on Sunday, with both sides describing discussions on a potential UK-US trade deal as "productive," according to Starmer’s office.
Since Britain’s departure from the European Union in 2020, successive UK governments have pursued a trade agreement with the U.S. A statement from Downing Street said the two leaders "discussed the productive negotiations between their respective teams on a UK-US economic prosperity deal," adding that talks would "continue at pace this week."
Tariff Threat Looms Over Trade Talks
The conversation comes as the U.S. prepares to impose new 25% tariffs on cars and car parts starting Wednesday—a move that could impact the UK. Trump has already levied tariffs on steel and aluminum exports from Britain, and over the weekend, he suggested the new duties would apply broadly, not just to nations with significant trade imbalances with the U.S.
The UK has been negotiating for an exemption. Starmer’s spokesman said the government had been preparing for all scenarios and emphasized that the prime minister would "always act in the national interest."
While discussions on an economic prosperity deal have been "constructive," the spokesman noted that an agreement was unlikely to be finalized before Wednesday’s tariff deadline. "We are having constructive discussions, but we will only do a deal that delivers economic prosperity for the British people," the spokesman said.
When asked if the UK could avoid the tariffs, the spokesman said talks would "likely continue beyond Wednesday" and that Britain would respond with a "calm and pragmatic approach." He stressed that a trade war with the U.S. "is not in anybody’s interests," but added: "We rule nothing out in response."