U.S. President Donald Trump held out the prospect of a “great” post-Brexit trade deal that might keep away from tariffs on Britain on Thursday (February 27, 2025) — as he hailed Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a tricky negotiator.
“We’re going to have a great trade agreement, one way or the other,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters throughout a joint press convention with Mr. Starmer on the White House, including {that a} new deal might come collectively “rather quickly.”
Pro-Brexit politicians dangled the promise of a U.S.-U.Okay. trade deal as one of many advantages of leaving the European Union forward of the 2016 referendum on EU membership.
But they didn’t agree a deal following the vote.
Billionaire property tycoon Mr. Trump, who authored a e-book known as the “Art of the Deal,” hailed former human rights lawyer Starmer’s negotiating expertise through the press convention.
“You’re a very tough negotiator — I’m not sure I like that, but that’s ok,” Mr. Trump joked.
Asked if Mr. Starmer had managed to influence him to drop the specter of tariffs, the U.S. President chuckled and stated: “He tried. he was working hard, I’ll tell you that.”
“He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there,” he added.
Since taking workplace, Mr. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs in opposition to buying and selling companions with whom the United States has a big trade deficit, together with the European Union and China.
Mr. Trump’s feedback on a deal sign that his administration is eager to revive the trade talks with Britain, which made little progress throughout his predecessor Joe Biden’s time period in workplace.
Mr. Starmer stated he had had a “productive discussion” with Mr. Trump, including that the United States and Britain had been now working on a brand new “economic deal.”
“We could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters, including that the eventual deal may very well be “really terrific for both countries.”
On Thursday (February 27, 2025), Mr. Starmer defended Britain’s trade stability with the United States, calling it “fair, balanced and reciprocal.”
Published – February 28, 2025 03:52 am IST
