A bagpipe participant wears conventional gown subsequent to Donald Trump as he arrived at his Trump Turnberry Resort on June 24, 2016 in Ayr, Scotland.
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As U.S. President Donald Trump visits Scotland this week, the U.Okay. shall be trying to additional cement heat ties with the White Home chief and to finish some vital unfinished enterprise.
The president is because of go to two Trump-owned golf websites in Turnberry and Aberdeen between Friday and Tuesday, in addition to one among his new golf programs that is set to open in August.
He is additionally because of have a casual assembly with U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and “refine” a current U.S.-U.Okay commerce deal, White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters final week.
The deal between Washington and London centered on a ten% baseline tariff on British items arriving within the States, whereas additionally setting sure quotas and exemptions for autos and aerospace exports.
Whereas the “deal” kicked in on June 30, there are elements of the pact that stay within the “dedication” stage. One in all them is the pledge to take away the 25% tariff on UK metal and aluminum — the remainder of the world was hit with a 50% obligation — with the U.Okay. needing to make sure that British metal imports are “melted and poured” domestically and do not originate in China.
There are additionally ongoing, thorny discussions over a digital providers tax that hits tech firms even when they don’t seem to be headquartered within the U.Okay., which Washington needs eliminated.
As such, whereas the U.Okay. is in a greater place than a lot of its friends, notably its neighbors within the European Union who’re searching for a last-ditch commerce deal earlier than August 1, there’s unfinished enterprise.
The query is the place would possibly we see some “give and take” within the U.S.-UK commerce deal, Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt, instructed CNBC on Wednesday.
“After all, the U.Okay. would most likely just like the metal and aluminium tariffs to go down. And the U.S. has a little bit of a problem over the digital providers tax, so it is attainable that that is simply a simple deal,” he mentioned, including that there could possibly be some particular headline bulletins when Trump and Starmer meet.
“Something that places a optimistic spin on U.Okay.-U.S. relations in context of this [wider] August 1 deadline, most likely on the margin, is definitely optimistic for the U.Okay., even the deal itself is just not an excellent one. We would not sit right here look by the element and say, ‘Oh, it is a sensible commerce deal,’ it is simply in context, truly, it would not look too dangerous,” Pickering famous.
U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake palms through the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, June 16, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Whereas they’re unlikely bedfellows politically, Republican Trump seems to hit it off with Starmer, who heads a center-left authorities. When the leaders appeared in a jovial temper collectively on the Group of Seven summit in June, Trump was requested whether or not Britain can be shielded from additional tariffs.
“The U.Okay. could be very properly protected. why? As a result of I like them. That is their final safety,” Trump responded.
Forward of this newest assembly with Starmer, the U.S. president mentioned talks with the British prime minister would happen “most likely one among my properties” in Aberdeen. The White Home has but to publicly affirm that element, nevertheless.
The Scotland journey comes forward of a state go to that Trump and First Woman Melania Trump will make in Sept. 17-19, the White Home mentioned, noting that the president was “honored” and looking out ahead to assembly King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Citadel within the early fall.
