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UK officials land in Washington as talks over trade agreement continue

Senior negotiators hope to get agreement with US signed ahead of UK-EU summit on 19 May

Downing Street did not deny reports the deal could be signed as early as this week, although government sources said the recent announcement by the US president, Donald Trump, of film industry tariffs had proved a significant setback. UK officials say they are targeting tariff relief on a narrow range of sectors in order to get a deal agreed before they begin formal negotiations with the EU over a separate European agreement. With economists having recently downgraded the UK’s growth outlook, Starmer is understood to have decided to sign deals such as that with India even though they do not include a number of British demands, such as increased access for services.

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