Trump Set to Announce US-UK Trade Agreement Amid Market Optimism, UK Stocks Up 0.2%

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Deal Announcement Expected as Trump Hints at Major Trade Pact

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a significant trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom in a press conference scheduled later today. While Trump did not explicitly name the UK in his Truth Social post announcing the development, a Wednesday report by the New York Times claimed that, according to anonymous sources, a trade deal was set to be made between the UK and the US.

Sources familiar with the matter confirmed the UK delegation is expected in Washington for the announcement. The White House has not issued an official comment on the deal.

Financial markets across the globe responded positively ahead of the expected deal, with the FTSE 100 opening higher with gains of 0.2% to 8,576.25. Investors were further encouraged by Trump’s Truth Social post, in which he stated that the soon-to-be-announced trade deal would be “the first of many.” According to Gama Asset Management’s Rajeev De Mello, the details of the agreement would be critical, potentially acting as a blueprint for future talks with other countries.

UK officials have stated that negotiations have made substantial progress, with expectations that the pact includes reduced tariff quotas on US auto and steel exports. The UK is also in ongoing discussions regarding the 100% tariff on non-US movies introduced by the Trump administration earlier this week, as claimed by Minister for Creative Industries Chris Bryant.

Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Andrew Griffith expressed his approval of the potential agreement, characterizing it as “another Brexit benefit.” He also called for changes to the current Labor economic policies. Meanwhile, UK Defence Secretary John Healey acknowledged the importance of the US as an economic partner and confirmed that officials had engaged in negotiations since Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s February White House visit.