Trump Mentions on Truth Social
Does Not Reveal Counterpart Country
NYT Reports Citing Three Sources
Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is leaving the Prime Minister's residence on the 7th (local time) to attend the Prime Minister's Questions session held at the UK Parliament. Photo by AP Yonhap News
On the 8th (local time), President Donald Trump hinted at the announcement of a first trade agreement, with the New York Times (NYT) reporting on the 7th that the counterpart country is the United Kingdom. However, it is expected that this agreement will serve more as a basic framework for future discussions rather than as a final version.
Citing three sources, the NYT reported that President Trump is expected to announce a trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. The report also stated that both countries have made longstanding efforts to strengthen economic cooperation, and that this agreement could represent a significant achievement for both sides.
On this day, President Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social networking service he founded, "At 10 a.m. tomorrow (the 8th, Eastern Time), there will be a press conference in the Oval Office at the White House with representatives of a large and highly respected country regarding a major trade agreement." He added, "The first among many countries," but did not specify which country it would be.
The specific contents of the agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom have not yet been disclosed. The Guardian reported that both the White House and the British Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the details of the agreement.
It is also unclear whether this trade agreement is based on a finalized version or merely establishes a basic framework. Timothy Brightbill, an international trade attorney, told the NYT that "this announcement is likely to serve only as a framework for the agenda to be negotiated and discussed over the coming months."
The two countries have been discussing reducing British tariffs on American automobiles and agricultural products, as well as abolishing the UK's digital tax imposed on American technology companies. However, regarding food production standards, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has deliberately refrained from making related comments, as the UK is prioritizing a separate agreement with the European Union (EU).
President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs by country on the 2nd and began implementing them at 12:01 a.m. on the 9th. However, about 13 hours after the tariffs took effect, he postponed the implementation of reciprocal tariffs for all countries except China for 90 days. Since then, negotiations have been underway with major trading partners such as the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and South Korea. The NYT added that the Trump administration appears to be on the verge of reaching agreements with India and Israel, and is continuing negotiations with South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
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