Britain’s trade minister is set to travel to the United States this week for a fresh round of trade talks, following the announcement of a new agreement that will scrap tariffs on pharmaceutical and medical products in exchange for the UK accepting higher prices for newly developed drugs.
In May, Britain became the first nation to strike a deal to roll back some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, though progress on implementing the agreement has been gradual and handled sector by sector. While UK car manufacturers have already benefited from reduced duties, negotiations over lowering tariffs on steel remain unresolved. Details on when last week’s framework agreement on pharmaceuticals will take effect also remain limited.
“This visit is about turning ambition into action – advancing our trade deal and securing the investment that will fuel growth,” Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said ahead of his trip.
Kyle’s office confirmed he will depart for Washington on Tuesday to meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with discussions focused on accelerating progress on the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) agreed in May.
On Wednesday, Kyle will continue to San Francisco for meetings with major technology and financial services companies, including Google, PayPal and autonomous vehicle developer Wayve.
A former tech minister, Kyle previously helped negotiate more than $40 billion in U.S. investment for the UK through a tech partnership aimed at strengthening collaboration in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy—an agreement unveiled during Trump’s state visit in September.
