UK 'in a good position' for US trade deal, minister tells LBC - after Vance says US 'working very hard' on agreement
by Kit Heren · LBCExclusive
Minister Sarah Jones speaks to LBC
By Kit Heren
A government minister has said that the UK is "in a good position" to get a trade deal with the US, after JD Vance said the White House was "working very hard" on the agreement.
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Sarah Jones told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that British diplomats were "having good conversations" and there was "a deal to be done".
She added that it was "positive that the Vice President is positive about our negotiations".
It comes after Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports to the United States several weeks ago, sending stock prices tumbling and sparking fears of a global recession.
Since then, Trump has rowed back on tariffs, reducing the rate paid on imports from most countries to 10 per cent and, on Saturday, exempting electronics such as smartphones and laptops from the levy – including the 145 per cent charge on imports from China.
The Government has been hopeful of a deal to exempt the UK from Trump’s tariffs, with Vance saying on Tuesday that he was optimistic that both sides could come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
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"We’re certainly working very hard with Keir Starmer’s government" on a trade deal, Vance told UnHerd.
"The President really loves the United Kingdom. He loved the Queen. He admires and loves the King.
"It is a very important relationship. And he’s a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [Britain]. But I think it’s much deeper than that.
"There’s a real cultural affinity. And, of course, fundamentally, America is an Anglo country.
"I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries."
He went on to say the “reciprocal relationship” between the US and UK gave Britain a more advantageous position than other European countries when it comes to negotiating new trade arrangements.
"While we love the Germans, they are heavily dependent on exporting to the United States but are pretty tough on a lot of American businesses that would like to export into Germany," he said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will aim to continue negotiations for an economic deal with the US later this month when she travels to Washington to attend the International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings with other finance ministers.