The United States and Britain are set to unveil a limited trade agreement on Thursday that will reduce tariffs on British steel and car exports, marking the first such deal since President Donald Trump reignited global trade tensions with sweeping tariffs. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the announcement would come during a 10 AM EDT Oval Office press conference, describing the deal as "full and comprehensive" and highlighting the UK as "our FIRST announcement" among several negotiations underway, as cited by Reuters. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to speak later in the day. A British official said the agreement will cover a narrow scope, including reduced tariffs on steel and automotive exports, while the UK is likely to cut levies on US cars and scale back a digital services tax affecting major US tech firms. The announcement comes after months of talks triggered by Trump's April move to impose a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most trading partners, along with higher duties on autos, steel, and aluminium. Britain's car industry, heavily impacted by the 25 per cent US tariff, welcomed the move. Jaguar Land Rover recently paused US shipments, while shares in Aston Martin rose 8 per cent after it announced plans to limit exports and share tariff costs with customers. While the deal is not expected to deliver immediate economic benefits, analysts say it signals momentum in Britain's broader post-Brexit trade strategy, following a free trade agreement with India earlier this week. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama
