The U.K.’s achievement in becoming the first country to strike a trade deal with Donald Trump in the wake of his tariff onslaught marked a political win for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, vindicating his "softly, softly” approach to the U.S. president. But the economic benefits for Britain may be more limited — and the agreement offers a sign of things to come for other nations trying to avoid a global trade war.
The framework unveiled by the two leaders on Thursday goes some way to reversing the worst impacts on the U.K. of U.S. tariffs announced on "Liberation Day” last month. The premier said he had saved thousands of jobs in Britain’s automotive industry by negotiating down levies on cars to 10% from 27.5% on a quota of 100,000 vehicles per year, roughly the current level of U.K. exports. Tariffs on steel and aluminum were slashed to zero from 25%.
On a day laced with symbolism for the alliance between the two nations — the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe — Starmer dialed into the Oval Office to make the announcement with Trump. He called the deal "fantastic”; for Trump it was "tremendous.”
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