The UK has been desperate for a deal of this sort with the US since President Donald Trump unleashed his wave of global tariffs.
So have other countries. But it seems the UK has got there first – a significant achievement by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government.
Those close to the talks have been saying for some time that the shape of a deal was basically there, but that it was never quite clear when and whether the maverick president might sign off on what his negotiating team had thrashed out.
That he has done so this week makes this a highly significant few days for UK trade, coming just two days after the full free trade agreement between the UK and India.
The UK-India agreement is estimated to bring in a £25.5bn boost to bilateral trade and a £4.8bn annual increase in UK GDP, simplifying exports of UK goods to India and cutting taxes on Indian clothing and footwear exports.
