UK looks to restart cooperation after US suspends tech deal
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The deal was signed during US President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK in September.
PHOTO: DOUG MILLS/NYTIMES
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LONDON – The UK government on Dec 17 said it was focused on resuming talks promptly after the United States suspended implementation of a tech cooperation deal
The deal was signed during US President Donald Trump’s pomp-filled state visit to the UK in September
But on Dec 16, Mr Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said on X that the UK must make “substantial progress” on trade talks for the deal to resume.
The US and UK have been trying to implement the Economic Prosperity Deal, agreed in May and one of the first international agreements signed after Mr Trump threatened the world with punishing tariffs on goods entering the United States.
The US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, agreed in September, was a non-binding agreement to sit alongside the broader Economic Prosperity Deal.
It was designed to align the two countries on tech innovation while spurring mostly private-sector investment.
Following the White House announcement, a UK government spokesperson said: “We look forward to resuming work on this partnership as quickly as possible... and working together to help shape the emerging technologies of the future.”
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle held trade talks with US counterparts in Washington D.C. last week to progress the Economic Prosperity Deal, the spokesperson said.
“They celebrated the success of the recent pharma deal and both sides agreed to continue further negotiations next year,” the spokesperson added.
According to the Financial Times, US officials have become increasingly frustrated with Britain’s lack of willingness to address non-tariff barriers, including rules and regulations governing food and industrial goods. AFP
