Serious doubts are emerging over the durability of the UK government’s recent agreements with the Trump administration. Critics are warning that they rely more on political goodwill than enforceable legal commitments. An important pharmaceuticals agreement, promoted as a breakthrough that secures zero tariffs on UK drug exports to the US, appears to exist only in the form of parallel press releases rather than a signed legal text. In return for this promise, the NHS is expected to pay significantly higher prices for new medicines. Which is raising fears that the UK has conceded substantial ground without firm guarantees.
These concerns have deepened after Washington moved to suspend a separate £31bn “tech prosperity deal”. The deal was previously described by ministers as a generational upgrade in UK-US relations. The pause, blamed by the US on insufficient progress in reducing trade barriers, has reinforced perceptions that agreements with the Trump administration are highly unstable. Similar uncertainty surrounds commitments made to British farmers, including promised beef export quotas that remain unsigned despite looming deadlines.
Differences in how the pharmaceuticals deal has been framed on each side of the Atlantic have further fueled alarm. UK officials emphasize tariff-free access, while US statements highlight higher drug prices for the NHS as the central outcome. Trade experts and senior MPs argue that this imbalance exposes the UK to significant financial risk. Which may potentially cost taxpayers billions if the promised benefits fail to materialize or are withdrawn.
Reference
Courea, E., & O’Carroll, L. (2025, December 18). MPs warn that UK agreements with Donald Trump are ‘built on sand.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/17/mps-warn-that-uk-agreements-with-donald-trump-are-built-on-sand?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other