The draft U.K.-EU agreement is one of several being drawn up ahead of a May 19 summit.
Britain and the European Union are set to sign a formal declaration committing to “free and open trade” in defiance of Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.
A leaked draft seen by POLITICO promises a “new strategic partnership” between London and Brussels based on “maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade.”
It comes as Keir Starmer’s U.K. government is locked in negotiations with the Trump administration to try to get a carve-out from the U.S. president’s new tariffs.
Trade was already fair, both sides had open markets and followed the same rules. For example, EU goods faced low U.S. tariffs, and vice versa. Some tariffs existed, like 10% on U.S. cars entering the EU and 2.5% on EU cars going to the U.S., mainly to protect key industries, keep leverage for future deals, or defend specific standards. So Trump’s claim of unfairness is more about politics and narrative than actual trade imbalance and facts xD As per usual with him