Donald Trump’s new trade chief previously called for trade deals between the US and UK

It emerged Donald Trump’s new trade chief had previously called for deals with the UK as President-elect Keir Starmer’s team sought to force him to choose between the US and the EU.

Last year, Jamieson Greer expressed support for trade deals with Britain in testimony before Congress.

He has now been announced as Trump’s nominee for US trade representative, just a week after a senior economic adviser to the next president warned that Britain must abandon the “socialist” EU and join the US or face tariffs.

The intervention was seen as an attempt to force the hand of Sir Keir, who is currently trying to reset and improve relations with the EU after Brexit.

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This is what Trump advisor Stephen Moore said The times that the UK must make “a choice” between “EU socialism and US freedom”.

He said: “I’ve always said that Britain has to decide: Do you want to turn to the European socialist model or do you want to turn to the US free market?” Lately it looks like they are moving more (in “Towards a European model, and if that is the case, I think we would be less interested in a (free trade agreement).”

Mr. Greer’s choice as trade representative is seen as another sign of the Trump team’s willingness to push for potential trade deals with Britain.

Mr. Greer told Congress last year: “I recommend that the United States seek market access to non-Chinese markets through phased, sectoral and bilateral agreements with other countries.” A focus on trading partners such as the United Kingdom, Kenya, the Philippines and India would be a good start.”

In announcing his pick, Mr. Trump said that Mr. Greer, a former Air Force lawyer turned trade litigator, would “focus the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on containing the country’s massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture and services and.” to open export “markets everywhere”.

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During the campaign, Mr. Trump unveiled plans to impose 20 percent tariffs on all imports into the United States, with that figure rising to 60 percent for Chinese imports.

Sir Keir’s government is reportedly prepared to retaliate if Trump actually threatens the UK – with US brands such as Levi’s and Jack Daniel’s “on the tariff hit list”.

Sir Keir responded to Trump’s tariff threats on Tuesday with an apparent warning that a million Americans working for British companies would be affected. Downing Street said on Tuesday, in what was widely seen as a warning to Trump about the impact of any tariffs on the UK: “One million Americans work for British companies and vice versa, and the fact that trade between the UK and the US has been like that. “Last year we reached a value of £304 billion, so we obviously want to build on that.”

Overnight, the president-elect indicated he would impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China once he returns to the White House in January, stoking fears that Britain would be next.

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Prime Minister to “Trump-proof” the economy ahead of the inauguration of the new president.