The UK and EU will reaffirm their commitment to free trade, international organisations such as Nato and support for Ukraine sovereignty as part of their new strategic partnership due to be set out next month.
In what will be seen as a direct response to Donald Trump’s approach to the economic world order since coming to power, the UK and EU will seek to commit to their shared principles as part of a “reset” in relations.
It comes as trade experts told The i Paper that the White House is likely to want to agree any trade agreement with the UK before it agrees new trading links with Europe in order to secure certain concessions from London.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to host a highly-anticipated summit in London on 19 May that will set out the UK and EU’s “strategic partnership” in the years ahead.
According to a draft seen by news website Euroactiv, the three page document drawn up by the Government reiterates both the UK’s and EU’s commitment to “free and open trade” and “international development”, while going on to describe multilateralism as “vital”.
It comes as Trump has imposed tariffs on all imports coming into the US, while making swingeing cuts to international aid and pulling the US out of multilateral bodies, such as the World Health Organisation.
It will also reaffirm both sides’ “support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders”, which appears to go against Trump’s plans for a peace deal with Russia that will see occupied Crimea handed to Moscow.
Downing Street said it would not comment on speculation around the talks taking place between the UK and EU, but the Prime Minister’s official spokesman added: “The Prime Minister has been clear that there are significant benefits to be had by having a better partnership with the EU in terms of jobs, British businesses, reducing trade barriers, and indeed, keeping us safe in an increasingly dangerous world. So you’d expect us to be discussing a wide range of issues with the EU.”
The news has prompted speculation that the UK will not secure a trade deal with the US before the UK-EU summit next month, with senior Cabinet minister Pat McFadden casting doubts on the prospects on Sunday.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said that while an agreement was possible, he added: “I don’t think it’s certain.”
It followed comments last week from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who insisted that improving trading links with the EU was “arguably more important” than securing an “economic deal” with the US.
There have also been doubts as to whether the UK’s plans to make concessions, particularly in areas around agriculture rules with the EU, could undermine the chances of better trading terms with the US.
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Nevertheless, former government trade officials said the White House was likely to want to beat the EU to securing a deal with the UK.
John Alty, a former director general at the Department for International Trade (DIT) and now a consultant at Pagefield, told The i Paper that while the US “will not like dynamic alignment” with the EU, the White House could “try to preempt” UK-EU deal, in order to “lock in concessions” from the UK.
Allie Renison, associate director at SEC Newgate and a former official at the DIT, agreed, adding: “If anything they [the US] will want to get in there first, and the EU is more likely to want to wait to see what is negotiated with the UK. Also, it depends on whether we get outline frameworks to begin with rather than full final deals with both.”
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