Make UK Comment on US-UK Trade Deal
08.05.25
A trade deal between the US and UK has today been announced, which will see 25% tariffs removed on steel and aluminium goods and rates on UK car exports to the US cut from 27.5% to 10%.
The lower car rate applies to the first 100,000 vehicles exported from the UK to the US each year - almost the total exported last year, according to UK officials.
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the deal will be "hugely important for sectors like car manufacturing, steel and aluminium and so many others."
As the final details of the deal emerge over the coming days and weeks, Make UK will be on hand to help you digest what it all means for your business and manufacturing more widely. In the meantime you can read the reaction of CEO Stephen Phipson CBE below.
Industry will welcome this announcement which is a recognition that the Government was right not to overreact and instead pursue a mature, calm and pragmatic approach to negotiations. This has paid dividends by providing immediate relief to some of our most important and strategic manufacturing sectors which provide many thousands of highly skilled jobs which will now be protected. The Business Secretary in particular should be applauded for taking a realistic approach and playing a leading role at such an uncertain time politically and economically.
"To build on today’s very positive announcement we now need to see a comprehensive and forward-looking industrial strategy that strengthens the UK's domestic manufacturing resilience, boosts the skills supply, increased infrastructure investment, and enhances our export competitiveness. By building on this momentum, Government and industry together can unlock the full potential of UK manufacturing and drive sustained economic growth.
