James Roscoe, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy, told Newsmax on Friday that the United Kingdom will look to finalize unresolved elements of its trade deal with the United States, such as steel production, during President Donald Trump's visit to Scotland July 25-29.
"We've already got a trade deal with the president," Roscoe said on "Wake Up America." "The president had a call with [Prime Minister Keir Starmer] in the Oval Office some weeks ago now. And, of course, we were the first country to get a trade deal. But you're right. We've got some elements that we still need to finalize in that, and steel is one of them."
Roscoe added, "I'm sure that when the prime minister meets the president up in Scotland, it will be one of the things they talk about. But there's a lot on the agenda."
In June, Trump and Starmer said they had signed a trade deal that will lower tariffs on U.K. auto and aerospace industry imports, but steel production was a sticking point that was still being discussed. Last month's agreement fleshed out the terms of a framework deal that was announced in May.
Remarking on Trump's Scottish heritage, Roscoe said that when the president arrives in Scotland, "it's not just welcome to Scotland — it's welcome home to Scotland."
"He's got such incredible family connections there," Roscoe said, referring to Trump's mother, who was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. "And of course, he's a massive investor in those two golf courses. So I hope that this visit to Scotland, there's a bit of work, but it's also an opportunity for the prime minister and the president to sit down and spend a bit more time with each other."
"Between now and that, as you say, unprecedented second state visit, we will be talking a bit more about the trade situation, and we will want to sort out some of the loose ends there," he said.
"But I think, in particular, we'll want to talk about where we can really drive growth and jobs in both the U.S. and the U.K. We have this amazing trading relationship already. How do we make that grow even more?" Roscoe added.
Commenting on potential protests during Trump's visit to Scotland, Roscoe said that "there is no better friend of the United Kingdom than the United States."
"There's actually a brilliant piece in The Times of London today, talking to people in and around Turnberry Golf Course, the local community there — who obviously benefit so much from that golf course — saying how much they respect the president and how much they appreciate his investment there," he said. "So there are lots of people in the U.K. who will be welcoming President Trump, maybe from their sitting rooms rather than standing outside in the cold."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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