A spokesperson for the U.K. prime minister was tight-lipped when questioned about the reports Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re having trade talks with the U.S. to seek to reduce barriers to trade between the U.K. and the U.S. so I’m not going to get ahead of those talks,” they told reporters. “But obviously we’re having constructive discussions with the U.S.”
However, the spokesperson stressed that animal food standards were a “red line” for U.K. negotiators, suggesting the U.K. would not back down on a ban on imports of hormone-treated beef.
The reports come as U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves kicks off a three-day visit to Washington D.C. for the International Monetary Fund’s Spring talks, where she is expected to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, now U.S. President Donald Trump’s go-to trade negotiator.
British officials are prioritizing efforts to negotiate down the 25 percent tariffs on cars, steel and aluminum, and looming duties on pharmaceuticals, imposed by the Trump administration.
Speaking last night, Reeves said she would “stand up for Britain’s national interest.”