 "British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump shake hands at the White House. File image/Reuters")
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer requested US President Donald Trump to visit the UK in June to sign a new restricted trade agreement that would avoid additional export tariffs, but was turned down on Sunday evening.
According to The Sun, the pair’s weekend chat had little results other than Trump pledging to check into the terms of the planned economic accord.
PM Starmer’s attempts to persuade Trump to spare British businesses from the economic impact fell on deaf ears, despite a pledge to sign the accord in three months time.
According to one well-placed source, Starmer “pleaded” for additional time for the UK and US to reach an agreement.
However, officials at 10 Downing Street disputed the proposal, claiming that an exception was never specifically requested during PM Starmer’s briefing to Trump on the state of negotiations.
According to sources, Trump pledged to look into the contents of the ideas but was not personally involved in the negotiations.
On Wednesday, the White House will announce broad import duties on items, dubbed “Liberation Day” by Trump.
However, 10 Downing Street said tonight that Britain is unlikely to be excluded by the time the tariffs go into effect this week, with discussions “likely to continue beyond Wednesday”.
Trump has already indicated that a 25% import tax will be imposed on all automobiles imported into the United States, dealing a significant blow to Britain’s high-end car industry, including Aston Martin and Range Rovers.