President Donald Trump said his first trade deal since implementing his sweeping tariff policies would be with the United Kingdom.
Trump posted on Truth Social that a “full and comprehensive” agreement had been made with the U.K. He added that deals with other countries, which the administration has been working on in the wake of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, were in “serious stages of negotiations.”
“The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come. Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!” Trump posted on Truth Social early Thursday morning.
Under Trump’s original sweeping tariff plan, the U.K. was not subject to the higher rates. Instead, it was tariffed the universal 10% rate on all its imports into the U.S. He also had blanket 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S.
In April, Trump rolled out wide-ranging tariffs on dozens of countries, and then later placed a 90-day pause as negotiations on trade deals began.
Of the global reactions to the tariffs, the U.K. had a relatively tame response publicly, instead discussing optimism for a “favorable” deal and not imposing retaliatory tariffs. Officials stressed that no options were off the table, but Trump and British officials regularly said that talks were ongoing.
U.K. exports to the U.S. in 2024 amounted to roughly $261.8 billion, according to the U.K.’s Department for Business and Trade. The top exported goods during that year were cars, pharmaceutical products, power generators, scientific instruments, and aircraft. Steel and aluminum are popular imports from the U.K. into the U.S. that are affected by tariffs.
The U.K. imported roughly $157.8 billion of products from the U.S. in 2024, with top products including crude oil, power generators, refined oil, pharmaceutical products, and aircraft. The U.S. was also the U.K.’s largest trading partner, representing 17.7% of U.K. trade.
Trump has shown fondness toward the subject of his first post-tariff trade deal. In 2019, the president visited the U.K. on a state visit, where he met with the country’s late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, with whom he joked he had “too much fun.”
At a White House meeting earlier this year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer relayed King Charles III’s invitation to Trump for an “unprecedented” second state visit to the U.K.
“The answer is yes. On behalf of our wonderful first lady, Melania, and myself, the answer is yes, and we look forward to being there, and honoring the king, and honoring, really, your country,” Trump said in February when meeting with Starmer.
TRUMP SAYS HE WON’T DROP 145% CHINA TARIFFS TO ADVANCE NEGOTIATIONS, AS REQUESTED BY BEIJING
The tariff pause is set to end on July 8, but the blanket 10% rates are still in effect throughout it. China was the only country exempted from the pause; Trump slapped 145% tariffs on the country because of its retaliatory response to his initial tariff rates.
On Wednesday, the president said he would not lower the high tariff rate for China to advance trade negotiations with the country. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer are expected to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other Chinese officials in Switzerland this weekend to discuss trade.
