US President Donald Trump officially announced in a post on Truth Social that the United States and the United Kingdom have reached a "full and comprehensive" trade agreement that will strengthen the long-standing alliance between the two countries.
"The agreement with the United Kingdom is full and comprehensive and will strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for years to come. Because of our long history and alliance, I am honored that the United Kingdom is our FIRST announcement. Many more deals in serious talks are coming!", Trump wrote on his social platform on Thursday morning US time.
This is the first officially announced trade agreement since the Trump administration imposed high tariffs on a number of trading partners as part of a strategy to "rethink global trade in America". Britain, although affected by some of these tariffs (including 25% on steel and cars), was not subject to the most severe measures due to the favorable trade balance in favor of the United States.
According to sources close to the negotiations, the deal covers the automotive industry, agriculture, digital services and the elimination of taxes on American technology companies operating in the British market.
For British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is personally committed to restoring dialogue with the United States after Brexit, this agreement represents an important economic and diplomatic success. During his visit to Washington in February, he presented Trump with a formal invitation from King Charles III for a state visit to Britain.
The deal comes amid efforts by the White House to quickly conclude bilateral agreements with other key economies, including India, Israel, Japan and South Korea. Trump hinted that many of them were already in advanced stages of negotiations, stressing that "other countries need these deals more than we do".