The US and Britain are expected to announce several agreements ranging from nuclear energy, technology, and trade during President Donald Trump’s second state visit in as many months.
The visit expected this week comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes the momentum will finally deliver lower tariffs on steel and aluminium. Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, will be treated to the full spectacle of British ceremony on Wednesday: a gun salute, a military flypast, a carriage procession and a state banquet.
However, behind the pageantry lies a hard-edged calculation where ministers believe royal soft power may help tilt negotiations on trade and defense further in Britain’s favor.
Britain and US seek common ground on trade and development
On Thursday, the two leaders will meet at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat, to work out the details.
Aides from both sides confirmed they will sign a world-leading tech partnership, alongside multi-billion dollar projects for small nuclear reactors.
“The UK-US relationship is the strongest in the world,” said a spokesperson for PM Starmer. Earlier in May, the UK was the first country to strike a deal to slash tariffs on a range of exports with the US after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports.
As reported by Cryptopolitan, the deal was to help to preserve thousands of UK jobs in sectors such as automotive manufacturing, steel, and agriculture. Both countries are now looking at further strengthening their ties.
With Britain witnessing a rapid expansion of AI data centers, the opportunity to use next-generation reactors has caught the attention of both governments. Labour feels this is an opportunity to generate cheaper, cleaner energy and a boost for investment in high tech industries.
Starmer, a self-styled technocrat of the center-left, and Trump, the Republican firebrand now reshaping his party from the right, have nevertheless forged a working understanding.
Deal to expand nuclear power gathers pace
Perhaps the most eye-catching development is a transatlantic push on nuclear energy. Labour’s ambition for a golden age of nuclear has been boosted by an agreement between Centrica and the American firm X-energy to build as many as 12 advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool, with the potential to create 2,500 jobs in the north-east.
“These major commitments set us well on course to a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run, while delivering thousands of good jobs in the short term,” PM Starmer said.
For this particular deal, both countries will commit to regulatory shortcuts. The two countries will recognize each other’s reactor safety checks, reduce licensing timelines to around two years. According to energy officials, this move might open up an avenue for up to 20 further modular projects.
Other ventures are already on the table. Holtec, EDF Energy and Tritax are behind an £11 billion scheme to build data centers fueled by small reactors at the old Cottam coal station in Nottinghamshire.
Last Energy, another American operator, has struck a deal with DP World to build a micro modular reactor at London Gateway port, supplying its vast business park with low-carbon power.
Ahead of the presidential visit, the government announced £1.25 billion of fresh investment commitments. PayPal and Bank of America were among the big names, with technology players Nvidia and OpenAI tipped to confirm further projects under the umbrella tech agreement. CoreWeave, a fast-growing American cloud computing group, also signaled new commitments.
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