US-UK Trade Deal Slashes Car Tariffs to 10% and Erases UK Duties on American Beef

The United States and the United Kingdom unveiled a bilateral trade agreement on Thursday, marking the first accord Washington has reached since President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on global partners last month. Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer via phone link, Trump described the pact as “full and comprehensive” and said it would “cement the relationship for many years to come.” Starmer called the accord a breakthrough that offers immediate relief to British exporters. According to U.S. and UK officials, the deal cuts the U.S. tariff on UK-built automobiles to 10% from the current 25%—a duty that had risen as high as 27.5% under emergency measures. The lower rate will apply to as many as 100,000 vehicles a year. In return, Britain will abolish import duties on American beef and lower its average tariff on other U.S. goods to 1.8% from 5.1%. London also agreed to widen market access for U.S. farm products, while Washington will scale back levies on British steel and aluminium, although specific quotas and rates have yet to be finalised. The agreement preserves a baseline 10% U.S. tariff on most UK goods, underscoring its limited scope compared with a full free-trade deal. Even so, both leaders framed the accord as the first in a series of bilateral arrangements the White House hopes to conclude following the 145% tariff wall erected against Chinese imports on 9 April. Business groups on both sides of the Atlantic welcomed the relief on autos, metals and agriculture, while cautioning that wider issues such as services and digital trade remain to be negotiated.