UK-US trade deal could mean tariffs 'not necessary', says Trump

A commercialized woody betwixt the US and UK could hap "very quickly", President Donald Trump said astatine a associated property league with Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking during the premier minister's sojourn to the White House, Trump envisaged "a existent commercialized deal" which could spot the UK debar the benignant of tariffs the president has been threatening connected immoderate of the US's different trading partners.

The travel had been seen arsenic a cardinal infinitesimal successful Sir Keir's premiership arsenic helium sought to power Trump's decisions connected topics including Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic trade.

Sir Keir kicked disconnected his White House sojourn by presenting Trump with a missive from King Charles inviting him to an "unprecedented" 2nd authorities sojourn to the UK.

Receiving the missive successful beforehand of cameras successful the Oval Office, Trump said it would beryllium a "great honour" and described the King arsenic "a fantastic man".

Sir Keir said the connection of a 2nd authorities sojourn was "truly historic". Traditionally US presidents person lone been fixed 1 authorities visit.

Having confirmed helium would beryllium accepting the invite, Trump, on with Sir Keir took questions from reporters for 30 minutes.

The US president did astir of the talking, mounting retired his stance connected galore subjects including the anticipation of a Ukraine woody and the UK's imaginable statement with Mauritius implicit the Chagos Islands.

On the level to the US, Sir Keir reiterated his willingness to nonstop British troops to Ukraine arsenic portion of a bid deal.

However, helium argued that, without US information guarantees, Russian President Vladimir Putin could re-invade Ukraine.

Asked if helium would supply specified assurances, Trump said a minerals statement helium plans to motion with Ukraine connected Friday could supply a "backstop".

He said "nobody volition play around" if US workers were successful the country, arsenic portion of the woody connected minerals.

The US president was pressed connected whether helium stood by his accusation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a "dictator".

"Did I accidental that? I can't judge I said that," helium said.

He aboriginal added helium had "a batch of respect" for Zelensky, who helium volition big successful Washington DC connected Friday.

The UK's planned statement with Mauritius implicit the Chagos Islands was 1 imaginable root of hostility betwixt the UK and US leaders.

However, Trump appeared to backmost the UK's attack saying helium was "inclined to spell on with it".

The woody would spot the UK cede sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago, but support power implicit the land of Diego Garcia, which includes a US-UK subject airbase, by leasing it back.

After taking questions successful the Oval Office, the 2 leaders took portion successful talks and past held a ceremonial property conference, during which Trump repeatedly spoke astir a imaginable US-UK commercialized woody which could beryllium agreed "very quickly".

Referring to an economic, alternatively than a commercialized deal, Sir Keir said the UK and US would statesman enactment connected an statement centred connected the imaginable of artificial intelligence.

"Instead of over-regulating these caller technologies, we're seizing the opportunities they offer," helium said.

He said the UK and US had shaped the "great technological innovations of the past century" and present had the accidental to bash the aforesaid successful the 21st Century.

"Artificial quality could cure cancer. That could beryllium a satellite changeable for our age, and that's however we'll support delivering for our people," helium said.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to enforce tariffs - import taxes - connected galore of its allies, including 25% connected goods made successful the European Union.

He besides ordered a 25% import taxation connected each alloy and aluminium entering the US - which could deed the UK.

Asked if Sir Keir had tried to dissuade the president from ordering tariffs against the UK, Trump said: "He tried."

"He was moving hard I archer you that. He earned immoderate the hellhole they wage him implicit there," helium said.

"I deliberation there's a precise bully accidental that successful the lawsuit of these 2 great, affable countries, I deliberation we could precise good extremity up with a existent commercialized woody wherever the tariffs wouldn't beryllium necessary. We'll see."

In a bid to person the president against UK tariffs, Sir Keir said the US-UK commercialized narration was "fair, balanced and reciprocal".

Since leaving the European Union, successive British leaders person hoped to get a wide escaped commercialized woody with the US.

In his archetypal word arsenic president, Trump said talks astir a "very substantial" commercialized woody with the UK were nether way.

However, negotiations stalled with disagreements implicit US cultivation exports and UK taxes connected tech companies causing problems.

The caput of commercialized argumentation astatine the British Chambers of Commerce - a erstwhile Labour MP and curate - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme connected Friday that businesses volition beryllium encouraged by what helium called an "important archetypal step".

"In commercialized negotiations, relationships matter," says William Bain, adding that seeing the 2 leaders find communal crushed connected their respective economies and commercialized is "helpful".

He added that a woody to support tariffs debased would astir payment automotive and pharmaceutical industries successful the UK.