MPs warn that UK agreements with Donald Trump are 'built on sand'
21 hours ago
- #Trade agreements
- #NHS funding
- #UK-US relations
- UK's agreements with Donald Trump lack legal footing beyond headline terms.
- Pharmaceutical deal may increase NHS medicine costs by 25% in exchange for zero tariffs.
- US suspended the £31bn 'tech prosperity deal' due to UK's slow progress in lowering trade barriers.
- Concessions to British farmers in the first tariff deal remain unsigned by the US.
- Critics highlight discrepancies between UK and US descriptions of the pharmaceutical deal.
- Concerns over private companies influencing UK government decisions through investment threats.
- UK ministers privately express worries about the reliability of US agreements.
- Implementation issues persist, including unsigned beef export quotas and unresolved steel tariffs.
- UK government remains optimistic, citing benefits like 0% tariffs for pharma and aerospace sectors.
- Trade negotiations to resume in January amid ongoing volatility in UK-US relations.