En Route to Ukraine, Portman Stops in London to Talk U.S.-U.K. Trade

Press Release

While en route to Ukraine to meet with newly-elected President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) had meetings in London to discuss transatlantic trade issues with U.K. trade officials, including Crawford Falconer, Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser for the Department for International Trade within the British government. Portman, who co-founded and co-chairs the Senate U.K. Trade Caucus and is a former U.S. Trade Representative, spoke with Falconer about the challenges and opportunities presented by the U.K.'s planned departure from the European Union slated to take place later this year. They discussed the shared goals of strengthening economic ties between the two nations, including the possibility of a U.S.-U.K. bilateral trade agreement in the future. Their discussion also included the broader trade implications of the recent European Parliament elections. Also present were Economic Affairs officials at the U.S. Embassy in London.

While in London, Senator Portman also received a briefing at the U.S. Embassy and met with U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Woody Johnson to further discuss trade and bilateral relations between the two countries.

"The United Kingdom is a critical ally and strategic partner, as well as Ohio's fourth largest export market, and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss our shared goals of bolstering our economic ties with the U.K.," Senator Portman said. "If the U.K. continues the process of exiting the European Union, I strongly support pursuing a bilateral trade agreement between our two countries. Such an agreement would be mutually beneficial to our two countries and would strengthen our special our economic partnership and our security alliance. I'll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the "special relationship' between the U.S. and U.K. will flourish for generations to come."

NOTE: In the wake of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union in June 2016, there has been interest on both sides of the Atlantic in pursuing a trade agreement between the U.S. and the U.K. In 2018, the U.S. held a $15 billion trade surplus with the U.K., and total trade between the two countries routinely exceeds $200 billion per year.

Last November, Senator Portman and his U.K. Trade Caucus co-chair Chris Coons (D-DE) spearheaded a bipartisan letter to President Trump supporting a bilateral trade agreement with the U.K. after its departure from the European Union.

Founded in May of 2018, the U.K. Trade Caucus has so far held three events this year, including hosting representatives from the British-American Business Council and the Confederation of British Industries, as well as briefings by trade and British politics experts.

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