In her first American trip since taking on her new role, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will meet business leaders and White House officials in New York and Washington to look at ways of further strengthening links between the two countries. She will will also seek ways of reducing trade barriers even before formal negotiations on a new free trade deal get underway. But Labour has waded into the negotiations, telling the Government the deal must be done now and warning it must convince the US to lift steel and aluminium tariffs slapped on the UK more than three years ago.
Shadow International Trade Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "The Government have long promised that a Free Trade Agreement with the United States would be top of the priority list.
"We are two years on from the General Election and no deal is even in place.
"The Secretary of State must use her visit to Washington to prioritise British jobs and industry and kick-start the negotiations.