US President Donald Trump made a last minute bid to change the UK-US trade deal, Ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson revealed.
Mandelson was speaking today as Trump announced details of the deal in the White House, with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer joining via phone.
As part of the deal, the US will remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminium and reduce levies on cars from 27.5% to 10%.
During his remarks in the Oval Office, Mandelson said: "Thank you very much indeed for that very typical 11th-hour intervention by you with your phone call to the president demanding even more out of this deal than any of us expected. The prime minister was deighted to take that call late at night.
"You took it to another level and I think the point I would make is twofold. One is if we’re going to rebalance and rebuild international trade in a way that serves all our interests, then we’re better doing that together than separately, but secondly you’ve done what you’d said you’d do.
"You said to the Prime Minister when he came, when he visited in the Oval, that you would do a good deal with the United Kingdom, that you would do it at pace, and we would be first, and you’ve been true to your word.
"For us it’s not the end, it’s the end of just the beginning. There is yet more we can do in reducing tariffs and trade barriers to open our markets up to each other even more than we’re agreeing to do today, but it provides us with the platform to do what I think will be valuable to both our countries... and that’s creating a technology partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom."
As part of the announcement, Trump called the UK a "most cherished" ally and said the agreement affirmed the "reciprocity and fairness" he believes is essential to international trade.
He added there would not be "any red tape" when American exports arrive in the UK, with the deal encompassing billions of dollars of products including American beef, ethanol and other agricultural goods.
While the final details of the deal have not yet been written, the president confirmed they would be in the coming weeks, and that the agreement was a "conclusive one".
On the phone, Starmer said it was a "fantastic, historic day" and that the "incredible job" done by Trump's negotiating team had contributed to a deal which represented a "real tribute to the history that we have of working so closely together".
He added: "In the end it comes down to economic security is national security."
As Starmer hung up the phone, Trump said he might see his British counterpart soon.
Other officials in the Oval Office also commented on the deal, with US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick saying how "huge" the UK market is and that the deal would add $5 billion (£3.7 billion) of "opportunity" to American exporters.
Secretary Lutnick also confirmed Rolls Royce engines and aeroplane parts could be exported from the UK to the US tariff free under the deal's terms, while Britain will be able to send 100,000 cars into America on the original 10% baseline tariff.
In a Truth Social post while the press conference continued, Trump said of the agreement: "Today is an incredible day for America as we deliver our first Fair, Open, and Reciprocal Trade Deal — Something our past Presidents never cared about. This Deal shows that if you respect America, and bring serious proposals to the table, America is OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Many more to come — STAY TUNED."
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