Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, which employs more than 3,500 people in Merseyside, welcomes UK-US trade deal, described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as ‘historic’. Tony McDonough reports

Automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has welcomed the new UK-US trade deal and has resumed exports to America.

In early April JLR, which employs more than 3,500 workers at its factory in Halewood in Merseyside, had suspended exports to its key US market amid 25% tariffs imposed by President Trump on automotive imports.

This new trade agreement with the US will see car import tariffs for the first 100,000 vehicles exported to the US from the UK each year now subject to 10% tariffs. In 2024 101,000 vehicles were sent across the Atlantic.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the new trade deal on a visit to a JLR in the West Midlands. Describing the agreement as “historic”, he added: “We are the first country to secure such a deal with the US. In an era of global insecurity and instability, that is so important.”

Britain alone ships around £60bn of goods to the US each year, including pharmaceuticals, cars, and high-tech equipment. It represents around a quarter of JLR’s global sales.

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JLR chief executive Adrian Mardell, said: “The car industry is vital to the UK’s economic prosperity, sustaining 250,000 jobs. We warmly welcome this deal which secures greater certainty for our sector and the communities it supports. 

“We would like to thank the UK and US Governments for agreeing this deal at pace and look forward to continued engagement over the coming months.”