Letter to President Donald Trump - Senators Support US-UK Trade Agreement Post-Brexit

Letter

Dear President Trump,

We were pleased to receive the notification of your intent to initiate trade negotiations with the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union next year.

The economic ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are longstanding and significant. The United Kingdom is the fourth-largest export market for American goods and services, and the United Kingdom is our seventh-largest trading partner overall. Notably, the United States has a $15 billion trade surplus with the United Kingdom.

The United States has no better ally than the United Kingdom. Our alliance is rooted in shared values and common political and cultural traditions, and it is strengthened by the shared sacrifice of the First and Second World Wars, the creation of NATO, and military and intelligence cooperation to confront 21st century challenges, including the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This special relationship is an expression of the deeply shared values between our nations.

Reaffirming this crucial alliance through a new trade agreement will enhance the already close commercial ties and shared values between the United States and the United Kingdom, and it will highlight the critical role trade agreements can play in anchoring important strategic relationships.

Although bilateral trade negotiations cannot begin until the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, we agree that the United States should be at the front of the line for an agreement because we believe our country would benefit from an expeditious deal with a sovereign United Kingdom. We are encouraged by the efforts of the U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group, and we thank you for supporting its work.

From the Cornish tin miners who brought their expertise across the Atlantic to the profitable services, financial, and intellectual property-intensive trade of today, the longstanding ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are profound. We believe a trade agreement with the United Kingdom would confirm and enhance our commercial partnership and our security alliance, and we look forward to working with you and your administration to expand opportunities for Made in America products to be sold to our friends and allies in the United Kingdom.

Sincerely,