Theresa May is set to become the first foreign leader to meet the newly elected President Trump, as they sit down to discuss a potential trade agreement.
Whilst there was initially some concern over the future of the “special relationship” between the longstanding allies, after the President-elect allegedly spoke to eight world leaders prior to Prime Minister May.
However the announcement that President Trump would be meeting Prime Minister May, as well as the reinstallation of the Churchill bust in the Oval Office, suggests that perhaps the so-called “special relationship” remains intact.
So, what may an Anglo-American trade agreement involve?
What we know so far:
Ahead of the scheduled meeting, Prime Minister May gave some idea as to what she expects to discuss to the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme. She said:
“There will be many issues for us to talk about, because obviously the special relationship between the UK and the US has been strong for many years,”
“We’ll have opportunity to talk about our possible future trading relationship, but also some of the world’s challenges that we will face, issues like defeating terrorism, the conflict in Syria.”
The Prime Minister continued: “What I think is important is that when I sit down with Donald Trump I’m going to be able to talk about how we can build on that special relationship. He’s already said to me that he wants to see a very strong relationship between the UK and the US going into the future. There are issues that we will work together on in the future.
Similarly, in President Trump’s first interview with a major British newspaper publication, the businessman was eager to praise the UK’s “smart” decision to leave the European Union.
With respect to a potential trade agreement, Mr Trump told the Times:
“We’re gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides,”
“I will be meeting with [May]. She’s requesting a meeting and we’ll have a meeting right after I get into the White House … we’re gonna get something done very quickly.” He continued.
Reducing Tariffs
Whitehall officials have reportedly favoured discussing the potential reduction, or even a complete removal of tariffs between the two nations, in order to stimulate greater trade.
Negotiating these terms would prove a significant advantage for the Prime Minister’s position, as she continues to set up Brexit negotiations with the European Union. Thus far, in her first major Brexit speech of the year, Mrs May revealed that she intends to sacrifice membership of the “single market” in order to negotiate exterior trade deals, which remain imperative to her Brexit strategy.
Greater Freedom of Movement
Another potential tenet of a US-UK trade agreement is potentially allowing greater of freedom of movement between workers. More lenient visa requirements for British citizens in the US and vice versa is seen as way to ensure job creation for both nations.
However, should this measure be enacted, this raises several questions over the immigration concerns that propelled the UK’s decision to Brexit in the first place.
Prime Minister May is set to meet President Trump in Washington D.C, on Friday.