Cliff Notes
- Donald Trump plans to “refine the trade deal” during his private trip to Scotland, which includes a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in Aberdeen.
- The existing UK-US trade deal, signed earlier this year, has issues remaining, particularly regarding steel tariffs, which may see further negotiations.
- The Scottish visit precedes an official state visit scheduled for mid-September, where Trump will be hosted by the British royal family.
Trump to ‘refine trade deal’ with UK during Scotland trip | Politics News
Donald Trump has said he will “refine the trade deal” with the UK during his private trip to Scotland later this month.
The US president told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday that he will meet with Sir Keir Starmer “probably in Aberdeen”.
Mr Trump is expected to travel to Scotland in the coming weeks to visit his golf courses ahead of an official state visit in September.
“We’re going to be meeting with the British prime minister, very respectful, and we are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen, and we’re going to do a lot of different things.
“We’re going to also refine the trade deal that we’ve made.
“So we’ll be meeting mostly […] at probably one of my properties, or maybe not, depending on what happens, but we’ll be in Aberdeen, in Scotland, meeting with the prime minister.”
The UK and US signed a trade deal earlier this year that reduced car and aerospace tariffs, but questions have remained about a promise from Washington to slash steel tariffs.
In May, the White House said it would exempt the UK from plans for a 25% tariff on global steel imports but that is yet to be ratified and the levy has since been doubled on all other countries.
Mr Trump had insisted that unless Britain could finalise the details of a metals trade deal with the US by 9 July, when wider “Liberation Day” tariff pauses were expected to expire, he would slap the UK with a 50% rate as well.