Chancellor outlines red lines for US trade deal

Britain will not lower its standards or water down regulation in exchange for a trade deal with the US, the chancellor has confirmed.

Rachel Reeves was speaking ahead of a pivotal meeting with her American counterpart in Washington DC. In an interview with Sky News, Ms Reeves said she was "confident" that a deal would be reached but said she had red lines on food and car standards, adding that changes to online safety were "non-negotiable for the British government".

The comments mark the firmest commitment to a slew of rules and regulations that have long been a gripe for the Americans. Money blog: Private UK island loved by Rihanna and Stormzy for sale The US administration is pushing for the UK to relax rules on agricultural exports, including hormone-treated beef.

While Britain could lower tariffs on some agricultural products that meet regulations, ministers have been clear that it will not lower its standards. However, the government has been less firm with its stance on online safety.

A tech red line The US tech industry has fiercely opposed Britain's Online Safety Act, which was introduced in 2023 and requires tech companies to shield children from harmful content online. In an earlier draft UK-US trade deal, the British government was considering a review of the bill in the hope of swerving US tariffs.

However, the chancellor suggested that this was no longer on the table. "On food standards, we've always been really clear that we're not going to be watering down standards in the UK and similarly, we've just passed the Online Safety Act and the safety, particularly of our children, is non-negotiable for the British government," she said.

She added that Britain was "not going to water down areas of road safety.