The White House announced a major trade deal with the United Kingdom on Thursday morning. It was good news which the Dow Jones greeted with a quick rise as soon as some of the details of the agreement were announced. The Washington Post reported on this news in a story chock full of caveats designed to toss cold water on the agreement or at least Trump's part in bringing it about. Of course, considering the source, this downbeat attitude could be expected as you can read in the story gloomily reported by Natalie Allison, Michael Birnbaum, and Jeff Stein, "Trump announces trade pact with United Kingdom."
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a new trade pact with the United Kingdom, the first of dozens of agreements he is seeking with countries around the world.
That first paragraph which stuck to the facts was soon followed by attitudes of glum:
Critics have expressed skepticism of the significance of the “deals” the White House is attempting to negotiate in strikingly little time. Administration officials have also said not to expect the current 10 percent tariffs on Britain to be removed as part of the trade talks, intensifying doubts about any potential concessions.
...Joey Politano, who writes the financial newsletter Apricitas Economics, cast doubt on how significant a deal might prove, particularly given Britain’s long-standing eagerness to reach an agreement with the United States. “The U.K. has obviously been the closest partner for years, if not decades, and has been desperate to sign some sort of trade deal with the U.S.,” Politano said.
And while the Post reporters remained upbeat towards British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, they couldn't help but be downbeat over Trump:
Still, an agreement would mark a major achievement for Starmer, who has tried to stay on Trump’s good side even as the president has infuriated European allies with new tariffs and a tilt toward Russia.
Experts have been skeptical that any agreements reached in such a short amount of time will significantly alter trading barriers between the U.S. and other countries. Administration officials have suggested Trump might first reach agreements that would serve as frameworks for future negotiations.
No Washington Post story on the topic of trade deals would be complete without a parting shot at Trump and his team:
Some U.S. trade partners have struggled to gain traction with Trump’s team in recent weeks, noting the disparate views about the purpose of the tariffs among different officials. Come up with an offer that would satisfy Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, one senior diplomat noted, and it was likely to be a nonstarter for trade adviser Peter Navarro, for instance. A different diplomat said the tone changed about two weeks ago, with the team of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer taking a clearer lead in the talks and the administration seeming to become more serious about hammering out agreements.
The Washington Post hostility towards Trump remains in the utterly predictable reliable camp.
