US Vice-President JD Vance said there was a “good chance” a trade deal could be reached with the UK, suggesting it would be easier to land than with other European countries due to “a much more reciprocal relationship”.
UK business and trade minister Sarah Jones welcomed Vance’s comments and said talks to secure a deal with the US were ongoing, but declined to provide a timeline on their progress.
“Nobody wants tariffs. No one wants a tariff war. We want to secure a deal with the US,” she added.
The real question about positive comments by Vice-President JD Vance and Jones about a UK-US trade deal, is what they actually mean by the term “deal”.
Just after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House in February, it was rather telling that the UK delegation referred to what was being negotiated as an “economic deal”.