Trade and the United Kingsdom

Press Release

As Western nations continue to respond to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, there's no question increasing trade partnerships with countries who share our values would benefit the United States and the world. Realizing the administration seems content to sit back and let others lead on trade, I recently led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss trade opportunities and challenges.

As Republican Leader for the Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee, I take my responsibility to help build and maintain trade relationships seriously, and I have been outspoken in encouraging the Biden administration to pick up where the Trump administration left off in pursuing a trade agreement between the United States and the UK.

This is an historic time for the UK as it untangles itself from the restrictive policies of the European Union (EU). The British people are now able to determine for themselves the direction they'd like to take in terms of economic and trade policy. This means we have a narrow window of opportunity to establish strong trade relations and mutually beneficial trade rules with the UK before our competitors do the same without our input. A strong, mutually beneficial partnership with the UK would also incentivize the EU to come to the table. While we have made solid progress with the EU, we cannot allow them to obstruct the economic benefits that can be reaped through new trade relationships.

While in the UK, our delegation had the opportunity to meet with and gain insight from key UK officials and business leaders, including Minister for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt, Minister for Europe and North America James Cleverly, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Frazer, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis. We also participated in productive meetings with both the public and private sectors in addition to receiving a warm welcome from the British-American Parliamentary Group. During these meetings, I had the opportunity to raise the role agriculture must play in any comprehensive trade agreement between the US and the UK. Nebraskans know free and fair trade is beneficial to our economy, and we know farmers and ranchers can step in to help alleviate some of the anticipated shortages from Russia's war in Ukraine. To do so, though, the agricultural community must have new, strong markets to export to. As I said during these meetings, farmers are steadfast champions for trade, and any trade agreement between our countries must include agriculture.

We also discussed pending negotiations between the United States and the UK on the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. I have consistently raised concerns with tariffs as they ultimately end up being passed on to American consumers. Agriculture is often caught in the crosshairs of tariff disputes and is one of the first sectors targeted by other countries for retaliatory action. Following agreements with the EU and Japan, I am pleased the administration is finally coming to the table to address these tariffs with the UK, and I look forward to the final result of these conversations.

Finally, we spoke about international taxes and the importance of not putting American companies at a disadvantage. In a global economy increasingly reliant on data and technology, we must ensure we are at the table setting a foundation that does not hurt or hamstring American innovation.
I appreciate the opportunity to meet with my UK counterparts and explore the benefits of potential new trade relationships. Last week the Biden administration released the president's 2022 Trade Policy Agenda, and I was disappointed with the lack of focus on new trade agreements. Negotiating new trade agreements is never easy, but the time is now. The longer we wait, the harder finding common ground will be and the larger advantage our competitors will gain. As a legislator, I will continue to do my part to move the needle on trade in a way that benefits American producers, innovators, and consumers.

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