U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal Hits Stumbling Block

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.The U.S. government has paused a tech-focused trade pledge with Britain over broader disagreements about Britain’s digital regulations and food safety rules.President Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain in September, after signing an agreement that pledged to extend research collaborations and deepen partnerships in the tech industry.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York TimesDec. 13, 2025Updated 12:48 p.m. ETWhen Britain became the first country to reach a trade agreement with President Trump in May, critics warned that the terms were loose and the commitments vague. Now, the risks of that ambiguity are becoming apparent.The United States informed the British government this month that it would pause fulfilling a technology-related agreement between the two countries, which included more collaboration on artificial intelligence and nuclear energy, according to two people familiar with the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly. The move came because American officials felt that Britain wasn’t making sufficient progress in lowering trade barriers, as promised in the May trade agreement, the people said.Earlier this year, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain was courting Mr. Trump to avoid punitive trade tariffs, he delivered an invitation from King Charles for a state visit. When Mr. Trump arrived for the visit in September, British officials were keen to show that it wasn’t just about banquets and pageantry. At the time, the two countries vowed to deepen their partnership and signed the so-called Tech Prosperity Deal, which extended research collaborations and encouraged deeper commercial partnerships. America’s biggest tech companies announced more than $40 billion in investments in Britain for A.I., data centers and other technologies.But the language in the tech deal between Britain and the United States said it only “becomes operative alongside substantive progress being made to formalize and implement” the May trade agreement, which was called the Economic Prosperity Deal.Now, the Trump administration has argued that Britain has made insufficient effort. It shows how the administration is continuing to leverage trade policy to push foreign governments to make more concessions on trade and other policies. The White House has kept negotiations with countries open months after the president has proclaimed that deals were done.Some of the terms in Britain’s agreement were particularly loose. While there were firm commitments to lower tariffs on British cars exported to the United States, up to a quota, and to increase American beef exports to Britain, other issues were left unresolved.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT