U.S., UK agree trade deal for tariff relief

The United States and the United Kingdom are expected to announce a new trade deal on Thursday, May 8, 2025, aiming to ease some of the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The agreement is also seen as a political win for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, said the agreement set to be announced at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), would be “full and comprehensive,” and would strengthen the U.S.-UK relationship for years to come.

“This deal will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come,” Trump stated.

He also hinted at more deals in progress, saying: “Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow.”

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This marks the first bilateral trade agreement to be announced since Trump began imposing broad tariffs on U.S. trading partners.

Starmer, speaking at a conference in London, confirmed that talks with the U.S. had been ongoing.

“You’ll hear more from me about that later today,” he said, noting that he would provide an update on the negotiations later on Thursday.

Though the agreement may fall short of a full free trade deal, it is expected to provide targeted tariff relief for specific sectors.

Trump had previously imposed a 10 per cent tax on British imports, along with 25 per cent tariffs on autos, steel, and aluminium, measures he claimed would boost domestic manufacturing jobs.

The Star