Prime Minister announced US-UK trade deal to JLR workers in Solihull
Sir Kier Starmer says UK-US trade deal will save jobs in car manufacturing and steel industries
A "historic" UK-US trade deal will save thousands of jobs in the car and steel industry which had been threatened by Donald Trump's tariffs, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The trade agreement was confirmed in a call between the Prime Minister and the US President which was broadcast live on both sides of the Atlantic.
US import taxes which had threatened to cripple British high-end carmakers were cut from 27.5% to 10%, while the 25% tariff on steel has also been removed entirely.
The blanket 10% tariff imposed on imports by Mr Trump as part of his sweeping "liberation day" announcement remains in place, but talks are ongoing in a UK effort to ease them.
The timing of the announcement came as a surprise, coinciding with VE Day where the Prime Minister was heavily involved in events to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Previous governments have attempted to secure a free trade agreement with the US, but with no success, however the impact of Mr Trump's tariffs made it a high priority for Sir Keir.
Mr Trump said: "The US and UK have been working for years to try and make a deal and it never quite got there.
"It did with this Prime Minister, so I want to just congratulate you."
Sir Keir said: "With this president and this Prime Minister we've managed to achieve what many people tried to achieve for many years, and I'm really pleased."
The Prime Minister, who spoke to the president during a hastily-arranged visit to JLR's car plant in Solihull, added: "This historic deal delivers for British business and British workers protecting thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel.
"My government has put Britain at the front of the queue because we want to work constructively with allies for mutual benefit rather than turning our back on the world."
The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, was also in attendance at JLR yesterday, the mayor said he was delighted by the trade deal.
Richard Parker said: “Today’s deal between the UK and the United States is a significant moment - and nowhere is better placed to benefit than the West Midlands as our region exports more to the US than any other.
"We make things the world wants - from electric vehicles and precision engineering to digital innovation and health tech. This deal means fewer barriers for our businesses and more opportunities to sell to the world’s biggest economy.
"West Midlands firms have been clear with me - they wanted a deal and they needed speed. I’m pleased to see the government act quickly to get this done.
"This is a moment to back our strengths, back our exporters and show that regions like the West Midlands are vital to the UK’s future success.
"We’re open for business and ready to lead the way.”