US suspends implementation of UK tech deal

UK

Washington –  The White House on Tuesday suspended implementation of a tech cooperation deal with Britain that was signed during US President Donald Trump’s pomp-filled state visit to the UK in September.

Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said on X that the UK must make “substantial progress” on trade talks in order to resume a cooperation deal that was to build partnerships in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy.The US and UK are trying to implement the “Economic Prosperity Deal,” agreed in May and one of the first international agreements signed after Trump threatened the world with punishing tariffs on goods entering the United States.The US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal agreed in September 2025 was a non-binding agreement to sit alongside the broader Economic Prosperity Deal.

It was designed to align the two countries on tech innovation while spurring mostly private-sector investment.

According to the Financial Times, US officials have become increasingly frustrated with Britain’s lack of willingness to address non-tariff barriers, including rules and regulations governing food and industrial goods.

The US has long wanted Britain to recognize American standards on food and agricultural products.

“We’re confident of securing a deal that will shape the future of millions on both sides of the Atlantic,” the UK Prime Minister’s official spokesman told the BBC.

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Source: AFP

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