U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that they had signed a trade deal that will reduce tariffs on British auto and aerospace industry imports, but that they are still discussing how to handle the steel sector.
The pair spoke to reporters at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in the Canadian Rockies, with Trump brandishing the pages of what he said was a long-awaited agreement. The rollout was anything but smooth, however, as Trump dropped the papers and at first said his administration had reached an agreement with the European Union when he meant the United Kingdom.
The president nonetheless insisted the pact is "a fair deal for both" and would "produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income."
"We just signed it," Trump said, "and it's done."
Starmer said it meant "a very good day for both our countries, a real sign of strength."
Reaching an agreement is significant as Trump has threatened much of the world with steep import tariffs that have unsettled markets and raised the possibility of a global trade war.
He has since backed off on many of his proposed levies but also continued to suggest that administration officials were furiously negotiating new trade pacts with dozens of countries, even as few have actually materialized.
Trump said, "The U.K. is very well protected" from tariffs. "You know why? Because I like them."
The signing of the deal at the G-7 followed Trump and Starmer's announcement in May that they’d reached a framework for a trade pact that would slash U.S. import taxes on British cars, steel and aluminum in return for greater access to the British market for U.S. products, including beef and ethanol.
But Monday's agreement fully covers only British cars and aerospace materials, with more work to come on steel.
The British government said the new agreement removes U.S. tariffs on U.K. aerospace products, exempting Britain from a 10% levy the Trump White House has sought to impose on all other countries – a boost to British firms, including engine-maker Rolls-Royce.
It also sets the tax on British autos at 10% from the end of the month, down from the current 27.5%, up to a quota of 100,000 vehicles a year.
U.K. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the deal protects "jobs and livelihoods in some of our most vital sectors." Mike Hawes, chief executive of Britain's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said it was "great news for the U.K. automotive industry."
But there was no final agreement to cut the tax on British steel to zero as originally foreseen – seen as vital to preserving the U.K.'s beleaguered steel industry. Britain's steel output has fallen 80% since the late 1960s due to high costs and the rapid growth of cheaper Chinese production.
Monday's agreement fleshes out the terms of the framework deal announced in May. That framework didn’t immediately take effect, leaving British businesses uncertain about whether the U.K. could be exposed to any surprise hikes from Trump.
British businesses, and the U.K. government, were then blindsided earlier this month when Trump doubled metal tariffs on countries around the world to 50%. He later clarified that the level would remain at 25% for the U.K.
After the two leaders spoke, the White House released a statement seeking to clarify matters, saying that with respect to steel and aluminum, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will "determine a quota of products that can enter the U.S. without being subject" to previous tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
The British government said Monday that the plan was still for "0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed."
Trump’s executive order authorizing the deal contained several references to the security of supply chains, reflecting the U.S. administration’s concerns about China. It said the U.K. "committed to working to meet American requirements on the security of the supply chains of steel and aluminum products intended for export to the United States.”
There was also no final deal on pharmaceuticals, where "work will continue," the U.K. said.
The deal signed Monday also confirms that American farmers can export 13,000 metric tons (29 million pounds) of beef to the U.K. each year, and vice versa – though a British ban on hormone-treated beef remains in place.
