Theresa May will use historic White House talks with Donald Trump on Friday to discuss slashing trade tariffs and helping workers move between Britain and US
PM will use US trip to press the case for a post-Brexit free trade agreement between the two countries
THERESA May’s historic talks with Donald Trump in the White House will see the pair discuss slashing tariffs on existing trade, it has been reported.
The Prime Minister will be the first foreign leader to meet the new US president when she flies to America this week.
She is likely to press the case for a post-Brexit free trade agreement between the two countries.
And moves could be made to cut tariffs on existing imports and exports and on easing restrictions on Britons who want to work in the US and vice-versa, according to the .
Mrs May has already said the pair could look at removing barriers to trade before striking a formal agreement once the UK becomes free to do so after Brexit and has brushed off concerns over his "America first" strategy.
She told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show yesterday: "He and people around him have also spoken of the importance of a trade arrangement with the United Kingdom and that is something they are looking to talk to us about at an early stage, and I would expect to be able to talk to him about that alongside the other issues I will be discussing with him when I am in Washington."
The Oval Office summit on Friday will also examine global issues like tackling terrorism, the Syrian civil war, relations with Russia and the role of Nato.
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Mrs May told Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday that during the meeting she would emphasise the importance of the military alliance for collective defence and highlight the need for it to respond to modern threats like terrorism and cyber security.
The PM and Mr Trump could also make the case for other Nato countries to match their commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence.
Downing Street said the talks would mainly be an opportunity to "get to know one another" and "establish the basis for a productive working relationship".
But Mrs May swerved questions on whether she would bring up the controversial billionaire’s comments about women, such as claiming he could grab them “by the p***y”.
She stressed she will tell Mr Trump when she finds his behaviour "unacceptable" - a criticism she has already levelled at him over the sexist comments revealed during the election campaign,
But asked if she would confront him she told the presenter: “The biggest statement that will be made about the role of women is the fact that I will be there as a female Prime Minister, directly talking about the interests we share.”
The president's numerous highly controversial remarks about women inspired more than a million people to join anti-Trump women's marches in Britain, the US and around the world on Saturday.
The Prime Minister will travel to the US on Thursday when she will become the first foreign serving head of state or government to address the annual congressional Republican retreat, when it gathers for its 30th anniversary in Philadelphia.
Her early meeting with the president will be seen as a major coup following an uneasy start to relations with Mr Trump following November's election, and she urged that she aims to boost the so-called “special relationship” between the two nations.