Media: White House expects UK trade deal "within three weeks"

The United States is preparing to sign a trade agreement with Britain within the next two to three weeks, according to senior White House officials, marking a key step in Donald Trump’s broader effort to reshape global trade and isolate China.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Telegraph that the UK is well-positioned to secure a rapid deal, although it is expected to follow agreements with Japan, India, and South Korea — all priority countries in Trump’s strategic trade pivot.

One White House official said the timeline for concluding the UK deal was “two weeks… or maybe three,” indicating a sense of urgency ahead of the expiration of a 90-day pause on more aggressive US tariffs.

This development comes just a day after US Vice President JD Vance sparked optimism in British markets by predicting that President Trump would strike a “great” trade deal with the UK, citing his “cultural affinity” with Britain. The remarks helped lift the FTSE 100, signaling investor confidence in a post-Brexit trade breakthrough.

The US has recently imposed a 10% blanket tariff on nearly all imports from the UK, part of what Trump has branded “liberation day” — a major reset of US trade policy. The administration described the measure as a “reciprocal tariff” intended to rebalance global trading relationships perceived as unfavorable to American industries.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on April 15 that more than 75 countries had reached out to Washington to negotiate trade deals ahead of the looming tariff escalation, with 15 deals already under discussion.

A trade deal with the UK would not only strengthen Washington’s economic ties with one of its closest allies but also reinforce Trump’s plan to build a network of bilateral agreements that bypass traditional multilateral frameworks — a strategy aimed at economically sidelining China.

For the record, previous US-UK trade negotiations during Trump’s first term made significant progress but failed to yield a final agreement before the 2020 election. This renewed push signals Washington’s readiness to revive those talks under a new global trade agenda.

By Khagan Isayev